Bramble's Sacrifice
by Phantomflower
Summary: Bramblestar starts feeling his age after the death of a young Clanmate. He goes out on a private hunt, only to find a group of older WindClan kits in trouble with a fox. He will save those kits even if it's the last thing he does… and it is. Now ThunderClan and WindClan must deal with the fallout of Bramblestar's sacrifice. Part of the Ghouls of the Clans series.
1. Part One

Bramble's Sacrifice

Summary: After the death of a young Clanmate he had grown close to, Bramblestar starts feeling his age. He goes out on a private hunt to clear his head, only to find a group of older WindClan kits in trouble with a fox. He will save those kits from the consequences of their foolishness even if it's the last thing he does… and it is. Now ThunderClan and WindClan must deal with the fallout of Bramblestar's sacrifice. Part of the _Ghouls of the Clans_ series.

Warnings: OCs, violence, character death, death fic, kits in life-threatening/life-ending situations, tear jerker, canon deviations

Canon Deviation Warnings: Lake Territory!SkyClan, Powered!Three (they did not lose their powers permanently), Medicine Cats Allowed Mates and Kits, Altered Cat Descriptions (the Erins have not been consistent on cats' appearances or even their gender, so I made up my mind on some cats), AU after _Thunder and Shadow_

* * *

Bramblestar opened his eyes. He laid on the cold ground. He wondered why he was sleeping in the clearing of the ThunderClan camp instead of in his den on the Highledge. Leafbare had been brutal.

His amber gaze then caught the small white she-cat lying in front of him. Her chest was still. Her blue eyes would never open again. A cold feeling made its way into his chest.

Smallblaze had been a ThunderClan warrior for several years. She and her brother Smokefoot grew close to the huge dark brown tabby and his mate Squirrelflight.

She had been a helpful cat that assisted others in battle training, possessed an optimistic attitude, had a passion for battles, and knew much about strategy. She had been a good choice for deputy if Squirrelflight ever decided to step down. She was full of vigor.

Then, she came down with greencough. The ThunderClan medicine cat Dapplecloud isolated her from other cats. She claimed that the white she-cat was fighting the illness viciously. The Clan had expected her to recover.

Smallblaze took a turn for the worse. Dapplecloud announced to ThunderClan last evening that she had died in spite of her fight against the illness. The small she-cat was laid in the middle of camp for her vigil.

Bramblestar peered at the others that had fallen asleep around their fallen Clanmate. Smokefoot had slipped into sleep with his muzzle in his dead sister's fur. Dapplecloud snoozed by her tail. Cranefeather curled up near her former mentor.

Squirrelflight curled up in a ball near Smallblaze's head. She stirred.

"We fell asleep out here, didn't we mousebrain?"

The dark brown tabby tom licked his chest fur.

"Yes, we did."

He couldn't help but stare at Smallblaze. Her originally lithe body had turned gaunt from the greencough she suffered from.

"She's gone, Squirrelflight. One of Jayfeather's kits is dead."

His dark ginger mate laid her fluffy tail on his shoulders. Her voice cracked.

"I know. It happens during each leafbare. She had so much to offer ThunderClan. I liked her cheerful nature."

An all-Clan patrol had exiled Jayfeather without permission from Bramblestar or the other Clan leaders years ago. They drove him away from the lake while he was severely wounded, and attacked the other medicine cats at the Moonpool meeting.

The investigating cats thought that the gray tabby tom had been killed. The ringleaders were exiled. Others drawn into the conflict were confined to their camps for moons.

Jayfeather attempted returning home, but his injuries and blindness impeded his efforts. He had settled down with a mate near the mountains. He told Smokefoot and Smallblaze tales of the Clans as they grew up. They left for the Clans of their own volition once they were apprentice-aged.

Bramblestar leaned into his mate.

"I did, too. She had a great insight for battle strategies. I remember how she loved observing birds. I wonder why she liked them so much."

He stared at the lightening sky. The clouds had a dark cast to them is if it was going to snow heavy later on. The cats around Smallblaze's body started waking up.

Leafkit and Blackkit headed out of the nursery. They held their tails low. The pair headed for their still sleeping father Smokefoot.

Smallblaze had been a good aunt to them. They had not taken the news of her death well. Their tortoiseshell and white mother Robinsong followed them out.

Their denmates Limpetkit and Carpkit stayed around the nursery entrance with their mother Rosepetal. The younger kits were too young to understand mature concepts like loss yet.

Blackkit nuzzled her father's side. The gray tabby tom opened his eyes.

"Father, wake up," she urged.

"You fell asleep outside next to Smallblaze. The elders will be taking her out of camp soon."

Smokefoot retracted his muzzle from his sister's pelt. He sat up on the cold ground. He licked his chest fur.

Leafkit pressed his nose into his aunt's pelt.

"Goodbye, Smallblaze. We'll miss you."

Blackkit nuzzled Smallblaze's side.

"Goodbye, Smallblaze. We'll see you again someday."

Smokefoot followed his kits' example. He nuzzled his white sister's side one last time.

Brightheart ventured out of the elders' den. Cloudtail and Whitewing followed behind her. Her white mate's fluffy body shivered as he approached Smallblaze's corpse.

"It's time to bury Smallblaze," the ginger and white she-cat called.

"Would anyone like to help us lay her to rest? The ground will be hard with the weather we've had lately."

Cranefeather focused on the elder she-cat.

"I would like to. To help lay my former mentor to rest would be an honor," she volunteered.

Smokefoot approached the ginger and white she-cat.

"I would like to assist with burying my sister," he voiced.

Robinsong laid a tail on her mate's shoulder.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Smokefoot? You've grown thin since Smallblaze became ill. You come back from hunting patrols with your paws dragging on the ground."

The dark gray tabby tom locked eyes with his mate.

"I am capable of burying Smallblaze. If it makes you feel better Robinsong, I will spend the rest of the day in camp."

Squirrelflight padded up to the pair.

"Be careful, Smokefoot. We don't need you getting sick as well. Come back as soon as Smallblaze is laid to rest."

She then called out to Brightheart.

"Send him back to camp once you're done."

The elderly she-cat nodded.

"I will. Let's carry her out of the camp."

Whitewing approached Smallblaze's corpse. She carried the small white she-cat by her scruff. She laid the fallen ThunderClan warrior on Smokefoot's back. The burial party walked out of the tunnel.

Bramblestar watched them go. His adopted granddaughter was just so tiny in death. He could not believe that she was gone.

The Clan started coming to life. Squirrelflight assigned cats to patrols as she did normally, but with a resigned tone in her voice. Friends of Smallblaze gathered near the warriors' den speaking in whispers.

He could not deal with the somber atmosphere. A voice in his head told him he needed air. He needed some time out of the camp. A hunt alone would do fine.

He padded up to his mate.

"Squirrelflight, I am going on a hunt alone," he announced.

"I will be near the WindClan border."

The ginger she-cat stared at him in shock.

"Alone? Why?"

He whispered into her ear.

"I need some space away from the somber cloud hanging over the camp. I want you to stay so ThunderClan is protected. You know I'm on my last life."

It was hard to admit sometimes. His lives had lasted a while. He lost one life to the blood dirt fever that tore through the Clans years ago. He had given up a few to protect his Clanmates. It kept adding up.

He was forced to admit that he would not be around for much longer when he saw his grayed muzzle reflected in a puddle last leaffall. He was old. The majority of cats that had been alive when he was a kit had joined StarClan. Only his sister Tawnypelt, Cloudtail, Brightheart, Mistystar, Reedwhisker, and Snowbird remained.

Squirrelflight licked him on his ear.

"Okay. Just make sure we can spend some time together later."

He nuzzled the aging ginger she-cat. Was that white fur on her muzzle? It appeared even the cats that had been apprentices on the Great Journey were growing old.

"I will," he promised.

He exited the ThunderClan camp through the thorn tunnel as quickly as he could. He headed for the forest area near WindClan's border.

He spent the morning prowling for prey. He only caught a mouse, a squirrel, and a vole. The cold had driven most animals away. He buried them under a tree. His old limbs ached.

Bramblestar lifted his nose into the air. He could do better than this!

Instead of prey, the scent of WindClan mixed with a faint hint of milk hit his nose. The two odors were nearly overpowered by blood. A musky scent like that of a fox followed close behind.

The dark brown tabby growled. It seemed like a fox was pursuing WindClan kits onto his territory. The orange creature probably thought that the kits were an easy meal. Starvation made predators desperate. He would not let that stand.

He jumped into the Moonpool stream towards the kits and fox. His large churning paws broke up the ice. It had thinned with recent warmer weather. He hoped he would not be too late.

The forest grew thinner. A mangy ginger creature with a pointy muzzle and five kits around half the size of fully-grown warriors came into view. At the front of the kits was a mottled brown tom-kit with a bleeding side. He swatted an unsheathed front paw at the fox. The fox snapped at his leg.

Bramblestar threw his body into the fox's side. Its ribs showed through its fur. The creature let out a shocked yip.

A golden brown tabby she-kit ran at the back of the fox. She bit its tail. The dark brown tabby tom called out to the other three kits.

"Who are you, and where did you come from?"

A shaking brown tabby tom-kit answered him.

"I'm Buzzardkit. The two with me are Blackbirdkit and Dunlinkit. The mottled brown tom-kit is Frogkit, and the golden brown tabby she-kit biting the fox's tail is Brackenkit. We're from WindClan."

Bramblestar inwardly swore. How foolish were these kits for sneaking out of their camp? Their mothers had to be worried.

The fox closed in on Brackenkit. It lurched for her side. The ThunderClan leader leapt onto the fox's back. His fangs tore at the creature's skin underneath its thick fur. It turned away from Brackenkit. Frogkit ran back to his Clanmates.

"Why did you attack it, Brackenkit?" Blackbirdkit cried.

The golden-brown tabby she-kit slashed at the fox's hindleg. Her green eyes glinted with ferocity.

"Because I'm not letting any cats get hurt by the fox anymore! Just because I don't play much with the rest of you doesn't mean I want you dead."

The fox's fangs caught Bramblestar's upper leg. Blood gushed out.

A brown and white tom smelling of WindClan came into view. He hurled himself at the front of the fox. He tore at the orange animal's chest with unsheathed claws. Blood rushed from the wound.

The fox cried in shock. Bramblestar used the chance to ask the WindClan tom for more information.

"Harestar, why did I find five of your kits being attacked by this fox early this morning?"

Harestar slashed at the creature's foreleg. His response came out as a gasp.

"They snuck out of camp late at night. Their mothers Sparrowstripe and Brindletail alerted everyone that they snuck out as soon as they notice their kits were gone. Are you alone, Bramblestar?"

The dark brown tabby nodded.

"I went on a private hunt to clear my mind. I left Squirrelflight to defend the camp."

The fox regained its bearings. It rolled on its side. Bramblestar slid off its back. The fox tore off part of his shoulder. Harestar sprung on its back. His fangs tore at the back of the fox's neck. The orange animal bit the lower part of his side.

Buzzardkit entered the battle. He ran under the fox. He bit its belly. The creature cried out.

"Take that, mangy fleabag! We aren't scared of you," the brown tabby tom-kit hissed.

Blackbirdkit froze. She called out to her Clanmate.

"Buzzardkit, get out of there! You barely made the fox bleed a drop," she urged.

Frogkit ran up to the brown tabby. He tugged his Clanmate's ear.

"I agree with Blackbirdkit, Buzzardkit. Come back here with us. Going out to find a fox was stupid."

Bramblestar could not believe his ears. These kits decided to purposely seek out a fox?! Didn't any of their Clanmates tell them how dangerous they were? It was like Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze all over again.

Buzzardkit reluctantly joined his fellow kits at the edge of the confrontation. The fox's body shook. It could barely stay upright. It lunged for Harestar's back leg.

The same could be said of Bramblestar. His legs threatened to buckle under him. His head grew light. But, he glanced at all of the kits.

They had made a dangerous mistake. They all sported wounds from their struggle with the fox. The ginger animal was unlikely to back down with its ribs sticking out. It was too weak to run away even if it wanted to.

There was only one thing to do.

Bramblestar barreled at the fox with all of the strength he could muster. He knocked it on its side. His claws slashed at the canine's exposed belly.

Harestar approached the fox's neck. He tore at its throat. The fox let out a choking gasp. It collapsed on the ground.

It convulsed for a few moments. Blood bubbled in its nose. It slowly grew still.

Bramblestar trembled. His amber eyes gleamed with triumph.

"It's gone," he breathed.

The WindClan leader faced him.

"Thank you, Bramblestar. You have saved five of my Clan's kits. I need to call off the warriors that are searching. The kits and fox's scent led all over our territory."

Harestar then turned to the five kits. He flattened his ears.

"And you five are in so much trouble! You should know better being four moons old."

Dunlinkit squeaked in protest.

"But, we had fun! I loved exploring the forest and moors. That was a lot better than Gorsetail's stories."

Bramblestar felt slick blood running from his shoulder. He gasped. His legs gave way.

Blood pooled under him. He gasped for breath. How badly had the fox gotten him? Harestar ran to his side.

"Bramblestar!"

The huge dark brown tabby heard the brown and white leader order Blackbirdkit to find moss. His body grew weak. His surroundings blurred around him.

Harestar sat near his head.

"How many lives do you have left?" the brown and white tom inquired.

Bramblestar coughed. He felt blood rising in his throat. He was losing too much blood. There was no risk in telling his rival Clan leader how close he was to joining StarClan. Not now.

"Only one," he gasped.

"It's too late for me. Please tell my Clan what happened."

He vaguely felt Blackbirdkit pressing a moss ball to his side. It did little for the bleeding.

Harestar laid next to him. He heard the brown and white tom say one last thing, as his surroundings grew dark.

"WindClan thanks you Bramblestar for your sacrifice. I will tell ThunderClan that their leader went out as a hero that should be remembered. Please walk peacefully with StarClan."

* * *

Bramblestar opened his eyes again outside of his body. A black she-cat with green eyes was there to greet him.

"It's time to join us, Bramblestar."

The dark brown tabby pricked his ears forward. He felt healthier than he had been in many seasons. His limbs no longer ached with the pains of age.

"I suppose it is. It's nice to see you again, Hollyleaf."

He followed Hollyleaf into the sky. He would be seeing so many friends again.

He glanced once behind him at Harestar lying beside his body. Even if he had obeyed the warrior code by rescuing Brackenkit, Blackbirdkit, Frogkit, Buzzardkit, and Dunlinkit, ThunderClan would not take it well. They could harbor resentment for the kits. His mate Squirrelflight would take it especially hard.

He sighed. There was nothing to do about it now. His spirit entered StarClan's territory with a drooping tail.

* * *

Harestar stared at Bramblestar's body. The ThunderClan leader had given his life to save five foolish kits from a Clan not his own. He gently nuzzled Blackbirdkit.

"Please stop now, Blackbirdkit. Bramblestar now walks with StarClan."

The black she-kit with a white chest and tail tip allowed her moss ball to fall to the ground. Her ears drooped.

The brown and white tom eyed the other four kits. None of them had strayed. That was likely because their small bodies were littered with injuries. If Bramblestar had not come when he had, the fox would have killed them for sure.

Blackbirdkit looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

"Why did he die, Harestar?"

The WindClan leader laid his tail on her shoulder.

"The fox injured him too badly. You heard him say he was on his last life. I doubt that even a medicine cat would have been able to fix his shoulder."

The other four kits approached the aging tom slowly with their tails between their legs. Frogkit spoke up first.

"We're in a lot of trouble now, aren't we?"

Harestar nodded. He was not going to lie. These kits were old enough to understand that actions had consequences.

"Yes. Because you wanted to sneak out of camp to see a fox, a leader of another Clan has died to protect you. I might hold back your apprenticeships."

Dunlinkit split his amber gaze between Bramblestar and the dead fox.

"What are we going to do now, Harestar?"

That was a good question. The kits needed to be brought back to the WindClan camp. But, ThunderClan needed to know that their leader was dead as soon as possible. His corpse and that of the fox would attract scavengers shortly.

Other WindClan warriors were out looking for the kits. Hopefully one of them was close enough to hear a call for help. If a WindClan warrior found them, perhaps they could take the kits back home while Harestar bore Bramblestar back to his Clan.

The aging brown and white tom turned to the kits.

"I'm going to call for help. My hope is that a WindClan warrior hears me so they find us and bring you home. If that fails, we will walk through ThunderClan territory to their camp. They need to know that their leader is dead."

He puffed out his chest. He yowled for help for several minutes.

He stopped once his lungs ached. He opened his mouth for scents.

There was no WindClan scent approaching their location. No ThunderClan warriors' scents wafted on the breeze, either. It appeared he had no choice.

Harestar approached Bramblestar's body. He slid the huge dark brown tabby over his back.

He gritted his fangs. The ThunderClan leader was heavy! His injured leg threatened to collapse under him. He flicked his tail at the kits.

"We're heading into ThunderClan territory. Stay close to me."

The brown and white tom entered the ice-free part of the Moonpool stream. His body shivered with cold. The kits followed behind him. He paddled through the water slowly.

Bramblestar's corpse threatened to slip off his back during the small swim. Brackenkit and Buzzardkit swam up to his left and right sides. They helped support the dark brown tabby tom's body. The three cats stepped onto the other side of the Moonpool stream.

The trip to the ThunderClan camp was slow. Bramblestar's weight and his wounds meant that Harestar could not move fast. The kits were weighed down with injuries. A couple of them complained about the situation.

"My side hurts. I'm cold and hungry. I want to go home," Frogkit whined.

Blackbirdkit hobbled at the back of the group with her left hindpaw in the air.

"My leg is injured," she whimpered.

Harestar stopped for a moment. He sighed.

"I know. But, we need to get Bramblestar back to ThunderClan. I will ask for their medicine cat to look at you once we get there. Help each other if you notice that someone is falling behind."

The group trekked through the forest. Dunlinkit supported Frogkit's side.

Harestar lifted his nose into the air. Maybe a ThunderClan patrol would head their way.

The scent of cats mixed with forest wafted nearby. The scent quickly grew closer. An unseen cat called out.

"Halt! What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?"

The old brown and white tom called out his response.

"It's Harestar of WindClan! Please come. I need help."

A silver-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes came into view. Behind her were an old gray tabby she-cat, a brown and cream tom, and an orange tabby she-cat. The silver-gray she-cat's fur stood on end once she spotted the kits.

"These kits are injured! What happened to them?"

Harestar bowed his head as deeply as he could. It was difficult with Bramblestar's body over his back. He spoke in a somber voice.

"Two of my queens woke up this morning to find their kits missing. I immediately sent out search parties to look for them. My warriors discovered that a fox was trailing the kits. I headed out to join the search party with my deputy Leaftail left at camp. I found the kits around our border with you. The fox was attacking them."

The orange tabby she-cat stepped out of the patrol's formation. She stared up at where Bramblestar's body laid with widened green eyes.

Harestar's heart went out to the she-cat. She was Bramblestar's daughter Sparkpelt. There was no way to sweeten up what happened to her father. The brown and white tom took a shuddering breath before continuing.

"Your leader Bramblestar had found the kits first. He engaged the creature ferociously. I jumped in to assist him. The fox had been starved to the point of desperation. It refused to leave even with two Clan leaders and some of the kits fighting it."

Sparkpelt padded up to the WindClan leader. She examined her father's body.

"The fox ripped an entire chunk of his shoulder out!" she cried in shock.

"He's not moving…"

The old brown and white tom looked directly into her green eyes.

"Bramblestar received severe injuries before we managed to kill the fox," he informed her.

"He collapsed soon after we verified that it was dead. We tried stemming the bleeding, but he had lost too much blood. He told me that it was his final life. I am so sorry."

The ThunderClan patrol froze. Sparkpelt curled her tail around herself while staring at the ground. The old gray tabby she-cat broke the silence.

"Harestar, thank you for bringing Bramblestar back to us. Molewhisker, escort Sparkpelt back to camp. Inform Squirrelflight about what has happened. Prepare Dapplecloud so she can treat the kits and Harestar. Drizzlewing, you and I will help Harestar bear Bramblestar's body home. Keep an eye on the kits."

The silver-gray she-cat nodded.

"Of course, Cinderheart."

Molewhisker led Sparkpelt away from the patrol. The orange tabby leaned into the older warrior's shoulder.

Cinderheart leaned up against Harestar's side. They carried Bramblestar's body between them. Drizzlewing gently herded the kits.

The ThunderClan camp was mostly empty when they arrived. It was probably because of most cats being out on patrol. The cats that were present looked on edge.

Dapplecloud met them at the ThunderClan camp entrance. Her small body shook as she looked at the kits. She drooped her large ears.

"You poor things. The fox really tore you up. Let's see about getting you looked at."

Dunlinkit came up first with Frogkit leaning into him.

"Please check out Frogkit. His side's bleeding a lot," the gray and white tom-kit begged.

The dappled ginger tabby and white she-cat nodded. She braced Frogkit's other side.

"I'll treat him first," she promised.

"I will mend his injuries as best as I can."

The mottled brown tom-kit followed his gray and white Clanmate and the dappled medicine cat into the ThunderClan medicine den. The other kits stared at their surroundings.

"Why do ThunderClan cats live in dens made out of stone?" Buzzardkit wondered.

Blackbirdkit stared at the large beech tree that made up part of the ThunderClan camp. She widened her blue eyes at the sight of it.

"That tree is big! How did it get there?" she whispered.

Squirrelflight approached the party of WindClan cats. Her response came out in a cracked voice.

"It fell into the camp one day when the roots grew loose. We had to evacuate. If it weren't for Dovewing sensing it, we would have lost more than our elder Longtail."

She then turned to Harestar.

"Harestar, this is terrible. Were any other WindClan warriors looking for these kits?"

The old brown and white tom nodded.

"Yes. I was about to go call off the search for the kits when Bramblestar collapsed from his injuries. He died soon after."

The old ginger she-cat swallowed slowly.

"I understand. Harestar, I would like you to assist me in bringing Bramblestar up to his den. He will remain there until it's time for his vigil."

The WindClan leader bowed his head.

"Of course."

Squirrelflight addressed Cinderheart next.

"Cinderheart, you and Molewhisker will go back out towards the WindClan border. Get the attention of their warriors. Inform them that Harestar found their kits at our border and that they are being treated here for injuries."

The gray tabby nodded. She moved Bramblestar's body back on Harestar's back. She and Molewhisker headed out through the entrance tunnel.

Squirrelflight leaned against the old brown and white tom's side. They traversed the Highledge with Bramblestar's corpse held between the two of them. They entered a cave smelling heavily of the dark brown tabby.

The two cats gently lowered the fallen leader into a nest of moss. Squirrelflight licked some of her mate's long fur. She groomed it so some of his wounds were hidden.

Harestar stared at Bramblestar's body. His amber eyes were closed. They would never open again. The huge dark brown tabby tom would never represent ThunderClan at another Gathering, lead his warriors into battle, or spend time with his family. Out of the six cats that had traveled to the sun-drown-place, only Squirrelflight and Tawnypelt remained in the Clans.

WindClan was a little insular, it was true. They often clashed with ThunderClan during Onestar's reign. But, that did not mean that WindClan kits were sheltered from the heroic deeds that cats from other Clans performed. The brown and white tom's mother told him back in the nursery about how StarClan chose these cats to find a new home after Twolegs destroyed the old forest.

Thanks to five kits that wanted to find a fox, one of those heroes died protecting them. Bramblestar had followed the warrior code perfectly when he saw them in distress. Why did no one notice Brackenkit, Frogkit, Buzzardkit, Blackbirdkit, or Dunlinkit leaving late at night? Harestar's warriors that were on sentry duty last night and the queens had a lot to answer for.

Squirrelflight glanced up at the WindClan leader.

"Your leg is injured. Let me help you to Dapplecloud's den."

The brown and white tom nodded. He leaned against the dark ginger she-cat for the trek down the Highledge.

He did not see Blackbirdkit, Brackenkit, or Buzzardkit in the main part of the camp. Dapplecloud must have brought them into the medicine den for treatment. He entered a cave with a covering of lichen hanging from the entrance.

Dapplecloud greeted Harestar from where she laid a poultice on Brackenkit's tail.

"Have you come to get looked at?" she asked with a slight hint of fear in her voice.

He did not blame her. The dappled she-cat was a former kittypet that joined ThunderClan at four moons old. WindClan had been involved in some nastier parts of her past, including the death of her mother Mottleflower.

A rogue originating from the moors slaughtered the pale she-cat with a mottled brown and cream face, ears, legs, and tail as if she were a piece of prey. He then tried killing Dapplecloud and her mentor Jayfeather. Onestar exiled him from WindClan.

The black tom was found on the border a few days later dead of his wounds from that raid of the ThunderClan camp. The WindClan leader did not doubt that the WindClan rogue, formerly Breezepelt of WindClan, walked with the Dark Forest. Why did Breezepelt allow his prejudice against kittypets and his half-Clan kin cloud his judgment?

Harestar nodded at the she-cat. He gestured to his left back leg with his tail.

"The fox bit me there. It's hard to walk on it."

Dapplecloud headed behind him. She examined the injury.

"The fox bit through your leg's muscles," she informed him.

"I'll retrieve some comfrey root, goldenrod, oak leaves, dock, and a few poppy seeds. You will be unable to foot patrols for at least a few days."

The old brown and white tom peered at the ground.

"What about getting the kits and I back to WindClan? My Clan will grow frantic."

The ginger tabby and white she-cat stopped poking through her herb store. She blinked kindly at the aging tom.

"You can go home tomorrow. You should stay off your leg for at least tonight so you have the strength to walk back to your territory."

She turned her very dark blue gaze to the kits. Frogkit slept fitfully in a moss nest lined with feathers. Blackbirdkit laid in a separate nest with her injured hind leg sticking out. Her blue eyes were nearly closed.

The other kits were wide-awake. Dapplecloud addressed them.

"You have all been hurt. You are not to play roughly until Kestrelflight or I tell you it's okay again. Your injuries could open up if you do."

Dunlinkit, Brackenkit, and Buzzardkit froze. They pricked their ears in the dappled ginger tabby and white medicine cat's direction.

"Don't bother Frogkit or Blackbirdkit while they're healing. They will have to stay in the medicine den when you arrive home. Do you understand?"

Buzzardkit nodded his head from where he sat.

"I understand, Dapplecloud."

Brackenkit turned her green eyes to the moss-covered den floor.

"Yes, Dapplecloud. We'll rest until our injuries get better."

Dunlinkit restlessly pawed at the moss in his nest. He nodded.

"Yes, Dapplecloud. I'll stay quiet until I'm healed."

Harestar did not believe that the gray and white tom-kit would live up to that promise, but kept his muzzle shut. He slipped into another nest.

He looked around the den as the dappled medicine cat fetched herbs from her stores. Her assistant Briarlight was not present.

"Where is Briarlight today?" he wondered aloud.

Dapplecloud twitched her whiskers as she carried over some comfrey root to him.

"She's off getting fresh air with Elderstripe near the SkyClan border," she informed him.

"She needs a little time out of camp once in a while so she isn't too frustrated. I'm going to ask her if she wishes to join the elders soon."

The brown and white tom understood. Briarlight's spine had been broken in the same tree fall that killed Longtail. ThunderClan hid her condition from the other Clans until the trial for those involved with Jayfeather's death. She testified about his character to those present, particularly that he held no romantic inclinations for anyone.

The dark brown she-cat started wandering her Clan's territory more often with an escort after that. She occasionally chatted with cats from other Clans on the ThunderClan borders. They usually indulged her. It was not like she could attend Gatherings often with her condition.

Harestar laid his head on his paws. The next few days were going to be long. He would have to bring the elders, Leaftail, Kestrelflight, and the senior warriors together for a council. He would have to interrogate the queens and the warriors that were on sentry duty last night. The sentries had been Squirrelfoot and Flintstorm.

Then, he would have to think of an appropriate punishment for the kits that was firm, but not excessive. Keeping them under heavy watch after their stunt was a given. There was the question of if he should confine them to the area around the nursery, make them perform chores around camp, or delay their apprenticeships by a moon.

He was not going to like the coming days at all.

* * *

Harestar laid a short distance away from the medicine den with Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, and Buzzardkit. The moon had risen over ThunderClan's leafy camp. It was barely visible over the snow falling from the sky. The camp was filled with cats sporting low-hanging tails and drooped ears.

Squirrelflight carried her mate's body down from his den on the Highledge with Alderheart's assistance. They gently laid Bramblestar in the camp's clearing. Dapplecloud stood by his broad head.

"Bramblestar was a great leader," the ThunderClan medicine cat began.

"He lived a long life that was spent serving his Clan to the best of his ability. Born to Goldenflower and Tigerstar of the Dark Forest, he undertook the journey to the sun-drown-place alongside his eventual mate Squirrelflight, his sister Tawnypelt of ShadowClan, Feathertail of RiverClan, Feathertail's brother Stormfur of the Tribe of Rushing Water, and Crowfeather of WindClan when StarClan gave him a warning. He was a proud father. May he rest easy in StarClan."

The dappled she-cat panted near the end. She paused for breath.

Cloudtail spoke next. His voice sounded raspy. He sat a little behind Squirrelflight.

"Bramblestar and I were both trained by Firestar. There were worries that he would take after his father. But, Bramblestar proved those fears wrong. Whatever ambitions he had were for his Clan to thrive. He trained his former apprentice Berrynose well even if he ended up as a pain in the tail. Bramblestar will be missed."

Harestar watched the vigil with his Clan's kits. Dapplecloud had allowed them out to witness the vigil so long as they did not strain themselves. He hoped it would make Blackbirdkit, Buzzardkit, Brackenkit, and Dunlinkit understand the consequences of their actions. Frogkit was not with them because of his more severe wounds.

Blackbirdkit twitched her ears as each cat spoke. She focused her unblinking blue eyes on Bramblestar's body. Harestar recalled how she held stories told about warriors of long ago in high regard. These stories would hopefully teach her not to wander from the WindClan camp again until she was apprenticed.

Lionblaze approached his foster father's corpse. He bowed his head low.

"Bramblestar was the best father a cat could ask for," the golden tabby remarked.

"He took it hard when he found out that he and Squirrelflight were not our birth parents, but he still loved Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and I. He told us just before the Great Battle that he was very proud of us. He offered advice when he could. I'll miss him."

Buzzardkit raised his head off the ground. He whispered in Harestar's ear.

"Harestar, why are they upset? They'll see Bramblestar again in StarClan, won't they?"

The aging brown and white tom froze. It took time for kits to really understand the concepts of dying and StarClan even though both were large parts of Clan culture. Buzzardkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, and Brackenkit were at the age where young cats started to comprehend it. He took a deep breath.

"Buzzardkit, being in StarClan is not the same as being alive with one's Clanmates. They cannot come down from Silverpelt whenever their kin wish for their company. All that made Bramblestar who he was is now in StarClan. He is now separated from his living kin until it's their time to join him."

The brown tabby tom-kit widened his bright blue eyes. He lowered his head.

"Could Frogkit join StarClan too? His wound on his side looks bad."

Harestar did not know how to respond. There was no denying that the fox tore viciously into Frogkit's side. It was a ragged wound that could get infected easily. The brown and white leader sighed.

"He might. He took nasty hits from the fox. His wounds will take longer to heal than any of ours if he does recover."

Buzzardkit flattened his ears against his head.

"I hope he doesn't join StarClan. He's my brother. We never should have gone to seek out a fox."

Dunlinkit snuggled against his denmate.

"I don't want him do die either. Even if he acts like a younger kit, he fought off the fox before Bramblestar arrived. He acted as brave as LionClan."

Brackenkit's smaller body shook. She stared at Harestar.

"I'm scared. What if more foxes come after us?" she cried.

Harestar noticed that Bramblestar's vigil had come to a temporary halt. Several cats glared at the kits. But, others did not. Among the cats not glaring at the kits was a dark gray tabby tom that was padding up to their spot beside the medicine den.

The WindClan leader knew of him. He was a ThunderClan warrior named Smokefoot. He was a stern if reserved cat that always set a good example for the younger members of his Clan. His mate Robinsong bore two kits four moons ago. He was a good father according to what ThunderClan cats claimed at Gatherings.

Smokefoot laid next to Brackenkit. He laid his short tail over her shoulders while his thin body shook. His voice came out cracked.

"No more foxes will come after you."

Brackenkit blinked her green eyes at the dark gray tabby. He continued speaking.

"You and your denmates made a mistake by sneaking out of your camp. You didn't know what lurked out in the forest. But, those mangy creatures will not lay another paw on you. ThunderClan will be checking the territory tomorrow for anymore foxes. And, I have no doubt that your leader will do the same once you're back at home."

The golden-brown tabby she-kit peered up at Smokefoot.

"Really?"

He stroked his tail against her body.

"Yes, really."

The WindClan kits gathered around the dark gray tabby tom. Harestar spoke up.

"You have my word. WindClan will check every patch of grass in our territory to make sure there are no others."

The brown and white tom saw the cats glaring at his Clan's kits turned away. Bramblestar's vigil resumed. Several cats spoke about the huge dark brown tabby.

Tigerheart thanked him for taking him into ThunderClan after certain events left him unable to live in ShadowClan anymore. Curlewfoot recalled how Bramblestar had taken in non-Clan cats like him, Dapplecloud, Smokefoot, and Hailwhisker to join ThunderClan following the blood dirt fever.

Stormcloud brought up how the ThunderClan leader had helped him lay his brother Benny to rest after the Great Flood. His mate Cherryfall leaned into him as he spoke.

Squirrelflight slowly approached her dead mate. Their kits Sparkpelt and Alderheart flanked her sides. She drew in a deep breath.

"Bramblestar was not just a wise leader. He was a great friend, father, and mate."

She stared at her mate's dark brown tabby corpse.

"When I was young, I would never have imagined falling in love with him. He thought poorly of my attitude, and I gave him cheek every chance I had. We had our share of hardships for sure. He didn't forgive me for taking Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf in as my own for seasons."

She smoothed down his long fur with a few licks.

"But, we could not stay separated forever. Our bond drew us back together. He asked me to become his deputy. I was happy to have him back. We were blessed with three adopted kits and four birth kits. Bramblestar was happy to raise each one, even if Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, Dandelionkit, and Juniperkit departed for StarClan long before him. I love him deeply. I will take good care of ThunderClan in his place."

Several cats quietly called out in approval. The dark ginger she-cat waved her bushy tail for silence.

"My first order as leader is that a patrol searches the territory for any traces of fox after moonhigh. No Clan will lose any more cats to these creatures."

The gathered cats nodded with grim approval. The new ThunderClan leader continued her announcements.

"I will leave for the Moonpool around that time. Dapplecloud will accompany me. Dapplecloud will leave Briarlight in charge of all medical matters until we return. Consider the camp under lockdown. No cat is to leave unless it is an emergency or if you have been assigned a patrol."

Harestar watched Squirrelflight command her Clan. While she was upset about her mate's death, her stern voice left little question of her strength. The other ThunderClan cats listened to each word she spoke.

"I hope that you all treat our WindClan visitors with respect. While they are here in part because of what led to Bramblestar's death, they did not mean any harm. Any cat that treats the kits inappropriately will answer to me."

Blackbirdkit's eyes were wide in admiration.

"I want to grow strong enough to protect others like Bramblestar did," she remarked.

"He did a lot of great things."

Harestar quietly shushed her. He listened to Squirrelflight's last announcement.

"If our moonhigh patrol around the ShadowClan and SkyClan borders encounters Bramblestar's sister Tawnypelt, please inform her of her brother's death. She may come to our camp at her discretion. Inform any ShadowClan and SkyClan cats about the possibility of nearby foxes. Dismissed."

The dark ginger she-cat then laid next to Bramblestar's corpse with her muzzle pressed into his fur. Several cats came up to pay their respects. Two of those cats were a black she-kit and a ginger tom-kit around the WindClan kits' age. They had to be Smokefoot's.

The WindClan kits' eyes widened. Smokefoot gestured to his kits with his tail.

"The warrior code says that all kits must be protected, no matter where they come from. I would shield you no less then I would my two kits over there."

Buzzardkit opened her mouth wide.

"Really? Why does the warrior code say that?"

Harestar laid his tail on the brown tabby's shoulder. He gazed down at the tom-kit with gentle blue eyes.

"Because kits like you, Frogkit, Blackbirdkit, Dunlinkit, and Brackenkit are precious. Kits are easily hurt. You are WindClan's future. Warriors protect all kits equally. The five Clans are different, but in some ways we are the same."

Briarlight dragged herself up to the group. She must have finished paying respects to Bramblestar. The kits stared at her.

"What happened to your back legs?" Dunlinkit blurted out.

Smokefoot gasped in horror at the gray and white tom-kit's bluntness. Briarlight, on the other paw, did not have a single hair rising on her pelt. She purred.

"A tree fell on me when I was an apprentice. I no longer feel my back legs, so I drag them around."

Blackbirdkit tilted her head.

"Was it the same one that's now in your camp?"

The dark brown she-cat nodded.

"Yes. I had gone back after our Clan ordered an evacuation of the camp. Our elder Longtail had run back to the elders' den to retrieve a piece of prey. I planned on convincing him to come back with me. Well, that didn't happen. The tree fell on us. It broke my spine, and Longtail died."

The WindClan kits stared at her in horror. Their ears drooped. Briarlight continued speaking.

"Now, I am Dapplecloud's assistant Briarlight. I will take care of you while she and Squirrelflight are at the Moonpool. You all look tired, so come with me into the medicine den."

None of the kits protested. They followed her inside of the den like a group of ducklings waddling after their mother. Harestar followed in close behind. Smokefoot called out a farewell.

Harestar limped back to his temporary nest. He did not care that the den was more enclosed than he would have liked. He yawned as he curled up on the moss.

He heard Brackenkit's voice as he drifted off to sleep.

"You know, part of me wishes that our moms found out about our idea before we went through with it. Queens are supposed to know everything. I don't want this happening to any kits I have when I grow up."

* * *

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader: Bramblestar – Elderly dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight – Old dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and one white forepaw

Medicine Cat: Dapplecloud – Dappled ginger tabby and white she-cat with very dark blue eyes and a long thin tail, former kittypet (Mottleflower and Jack's daughter)

Medicine Cat Apprentice: None

Warriors:

Cinderheart – Old gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Lionblaze – Aging golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Curlewfoot – Aging brown tabby tom with yellow eyes and a notch in his ear, former rogue

Tigerheart – Aging dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes, formerly of ShadowClan

Briarlight – Older paralyzed dark brown she-cat with blue eyes

Dovewing – Older pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Cherryfall – Bright ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Molewhisker – Brown and cream tom with amber eyes

Lilyheart – Small tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Ambermoon – Pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Snowbush – White tom with amber eyes

Stormcloud – Gray tabby tom with deep amber eyes

Hollytuft – Black she-cat with bright green eyes and distinctive tufts on her ears (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's eldest kit)

Alderheart – Dark ginger tom with amber eyes (Squirrelstar and Bramblestar's son)

Sparkpelt – Orange tabby she-cat with green eyes (Squirrelstar and Bramblestar's daughter)

Larkblaze – Black tom with blue eyes (Lilyheart and Snowbush's son)

Turtlefrost – Gray tortoiseshell and white she-cat with pale blue eyes (Poppyfrost and Berrynose's daughter)

Apprentice, Yarrowpaw

Pinestripe – Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes, is wobbly (Dovewing and Tigerheart's son)

Apprentice, Beetlepaw

Drizzlewing – Silver-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes (Dovewing and Tigerheart's daughter)

Hailwhisker – White she-cat with long whiskers and dark blue eyes, former loner

Apprentice, Webpaw

Smokefoot – Swift dark gray tabby tom with light green eyes

Russetbird – Small dark ginger tom with amber eyes, former loner

Elderstripe – Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Ivypool and Bumblestripe's daughter)

Willowface – Pretty silver tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes (Ivypool and Bumblestripe's daughter)

Shriketail – Gray tabby and white tom with blue eyes (Ivypool and Bumblestripe's son)

Burnetfoot – Swift ginger tabby tom with green eyes (Cherryfall and Stormcloud's son)

Cranefeather – Gray she-cat with bright green eyes (Hollytuft's daughter)

Antfang – Black tom with dark green eyes (Hollytuft's son)

Leopardclaw – Spotted golden tabby tom with amber eyes (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's son)

Aspentail – Large gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's daughter)

Lizardclaw – Huge brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white chest, former loner

Apprentices:

Webpaw – Dark gray tabby tom with green eyes, former rogue

Yarrowpaw – Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Larkblaze's daughter)

Beetlepaw – Black tom with amber eyes (Larkblaze's son)

Queens:

Rosepetal – Aging dark cream she-cat with blue eyes

Mother of an unknown tom's kits: Limpetkit and Carpkit

Robinsong – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes, former loner (Eclipse and Fox's daughter)

Mother of Smokefoot's kits: Leafkit and Blackkit

Kits:

Leafkit – Ginger tom-kit with amber eyes

Blackkit – Black she-kit with green eyes

Limpetkit – Cream tom-kit with green eyes

Carpkit – Pale cream she-kit with blue eyes and white paws

Elders:

Cloudtail – Old longhaired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart – Old white she-cat with ginger patches and blue eyes

Whitewing – Older white she-cat with green eyes

ShadowClan

Leader: Juniperstar – Sleek black tom with blue eyes (Dawnpelt and Crowfrost's son)

Deputy: Palestripe – Very pale white-silver tabby tom with bright green eyes and light gray markings, former loner

Medicine Cat: Puddleshine – White tom with brown splotches and blue eyes (Pinenose and Spikefur's son)

Medicine Cat Apprentice: None

Warriors:

Tawnypelt – Elderly tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Snowbird – Old pure white she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw – Aging light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Pinenose – Aging black she-cat with amber eyes

Dawnpelt – Aging cream-furred she-cat with amber eyes

Mistcloud – Older spiky-furred pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Hornetcloud – Longhaired ginger she-cat with dark blue eyes, former kittypet

Apprentice, Copperpaw

Cloverfoot – Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes (Snowbird and Scorchfur's daughter)

Rippletail – White tom with bright green eyes (Snowbird and Scorchfur's son)

Newtnose – Tortoiseshell she-cat with dark green eyes, former rogue

Sleekwhisker – Yellow she-cat with amber eyes (Dawnpelt and Crowfrost's daughter)

Needletail – Sleek silver she-cat with white chest fur and bold green eyes (Berryheart and Sparrowtail's son)

Lionfoot – Yellow she-cat with amber eyes (Pinenose and Spikefur's daughter)

Starlingfire – Black tom with blue eyes, a white chest and white paws, former rogue

Arguswhisker – Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and amber eyes, former loner

Tallflower – Black she-cat with long legs and green eyes, is very wobbly (Pinenose's daughter)

Blizzardheart – Small white she-cat with black paws and blue eyes (Rippletail's daughter)

Apprentice, Waxpaw

Tanagerfang – Dark ginger tom with blue eyes (Arguswhisker and Juniperstar's son)

Wagtailheart – Black and white tom with green eyes (Arguswhisker and Juniperstar's son)

Ploverclaw – White tom with gray tabby patches and blue eyes (Puddleshine's son)

Bitternpelt – Brown and white tom with bright green eyes (Puddleshine's son)

Birchshine – Dark gray tabby tom with green eyes, former loner

Railclaw – Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (Cloverfoot's daughter)

Lilacleap – Pale gray tabby tom with dark amber eyes (Needletail's son)

Slugfoot – Black tom with a stripe of white down his chest and blue eyes (Tallflower's son)

Sedgetail – Black tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes (Tallflower's son)

Apprentices:

Waxpaw – Fluffy golden tabby tom with amber eyes (Lionfoot's son)

Copperpaw – Tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and paws, and green eyes (Lionfoot's daughter)

Queens:

Cardinalflower – Ginger she-cat with blue eyes, former kittypet

Mother of Rippletail's kits: Garlickit, Bramblingkit, Gingerkit, and Icekit

Kits:

Garlickit – White tom-kit with green eyes

Bramblingkit – Tortoiseshell and white she-kit with bright blue eyes

Gingerkit – Ginger tabby tom-kit with bright green eyes

Icekit – White she-kit with blue eyes, deaf

Elders:

None

WindClan

Leader: Harestar – Old brown and white tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Leaftail – Old dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight – Aging mottled brownish-gray tom with bright green eyes and white splotches

Medicine Cat Apprentice: None

Warriors:

Emberfoot – Old gray tom with darker front paws and green eyes

Heathertail – Aging light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhisker – Aging light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Larkwing – Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Oatclaw – Pale brown tabby tom with green eyes

Featherpelt – Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Slightfoot – Black tom with a flash of white on his chest and amber eyes

Basilwhisker – Spotted gray tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner

Stoatstep – Small ginger tom with amber eyes, former kittypet

Shortflower – Small dark gray she-cat with green eyes, former loner

Bluetnose – White she-cat with pale blue eyes, former kittypet

Apprentice, Ryepaw

Squirrelfoot – Reddish-brown tom with amber eyes, former kittypet

Asphodeltail – Ginger she-cat with deep green eyes, a white chest and white paws (Stoatstep's daughter)

Apprentice, Chervilpaw

Flintstorm – Dark reddish-brown she-cat with amber eyes, and white paws (Shortflower's daughter)

Apprentice, Chipmunkpaw

Sprucepelt – Pale gray tom with light green eyes (Shortflower's son)

Mintclaw – Gray tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner

Apprentices:

Chervilpaw – White tom with blue eyes (Bluetnose and Harestar's son)

Chipmunkpaw – Splotched brown tabby and white she-cat with pale blue eyes (Bluetnose and Harestar's daughter)

Ryepaw – Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner

Queens:

Brindletail – Mottled brown she-cat with blue eyes (Heathertail and Breezepelt's daughter)

Mother of an unknown tom's kits: Frogkit and Buzzardkit

Sparrowstripe – Striped light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Featherpelt's daughter)

Mother of Slightfoot's kits: Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, and Blackbirdkit

Brightcloud – Dappled black and white she-cat with blue eyes, former loner

Expecting Oatclaw's kits

Kits:

Frogkit – Mottled brown tom-kit with blue eyes

Buzzardkit – Brown tabby tom-kit with bright blue eyes

Brackenkit – Golden-brown tabby she-kit with green eyes

Dunlinkit – Gray and white tom-kit with amber eyes

Blackbirdkit – Black she-kit with blue eyes and a white chest and tail tip

Elders:

Nightcloud – Black she-cat with green eyes

Gorsetail – Very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

RiverClan

Leader: Mistystar – Elderly blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Reedwhisker – Old sleek black tom with dark gray eyes

Medicine Cat: Willowshine – Old dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice: None

Warriors:

Minnowtail – Old dark gray she-cat with amber eyes and fluffy fur

Mallownose – Aging light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Petalfur – Older gray and white she-cat with amber eyes

Podlight – Sturdy gray and white tom with blue eyes

Curlfeather **–** Pale brown she-cat with amber eyes

Lakeheart – Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Shimmerpelt – Silver she-cat with green eyes

Perchwing – Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Brackenpelt – Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes (Petalfur and Mallownose's daughter)

Jaywing – Gray tom with green eyes (Petalfur and Mallownose's son)

Foxnose – Russet tabby tom with amber eyes

Cypresswhisker – Pale gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Lakeheart and Lizardtail's daughter)

Yarrowwhisker – Pale ginger tom with blue eyes, former rogue

Egretstream – Aging fluffy deaf white tom with frosty blue eyes, former loner

Apprentice, Birchpaw

Chanterellefur – Light ginger she-cat with pale green eyes, is wobbly (Brackenpelt's daughter)

Apprentice, Shellpaw

Swanwing – White she-cat with dark blue eyes and a small ginger patch on her head, former loner

Spiderfang – Black tom with one dark amber eye (Havenpelt's son)

Patchpelt – Gray and white tom with pale amber eyes (Jaywing's son)

Otterclaw – Black she-cat with dark amber eyes (Jaywing's daughter)

Lilytail – Gray she-cat with blue eyes and a long tail (Perchwing's daughter)

Apprentice, Lightningpaw

Breamstream – Long-legged silver tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner

Apprentice, Mudpaw

Wigeonfeather – Pale tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes and a white belly (Chanterellefur and Spiderfang's daughter)

Hornetclaw – Pale ginger tom with amber eyes (Chanterellefur and Spiderfang's son)

Apprentices:

Lightningpaw – White tom with bright golden tabby spots and dark green eyes, former loner

Birchpaw – Brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Curlfeather's son)

Mudpaw – Brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white chest (Curlfeather's son)

Shellpaw – Brown tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest, paws, and tail tip, and blue eyes (Curlfeather's daughter)

Queens:

Icewing – Old white she-cat with blue eyes

Mother of an unknown tom's kits: Privetkit, Juniperkit, Hazelkit, and Heronkit

Kits:

Privetkit – White she-kit with very light blue eyes

Juniperkit – Light gray she-kit with bright blue eyes

Hazelkit – Light brown tabby tom-kit with blue eyes

Heronkit – Silver tabby and white tom-kit with very pale blue eyes

Elders:

Duskfur – Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Pouncetail – Ginger and white tom with blue eyes

Mothwing – Dappled golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

SkyClan

Leader: Hawkstar– Small dark gray tom with yellow eyes (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw's son)

Deputy: Falconheart – Heavily scarred gray and white she-cat with light green eyes, is blind in right eye, former kittypet

Medicine Cat: Mossleaf – Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, white paws, and a white tail tip, former loner

Medicine Cat Apprentice: None

Warriors:

Mintfur – Old short-legged gray tabby she-cat with deep green eyes

Tinycloud – Old small white she-cat with deep blue eyes

Birdwing – Old black she-cat with a gray muzzle, bright green eyes, and a scar over one eye

Harrybrook – Old gray tom with a paler muzzle and underside, and amber eyes

Cloudmist – Aging small white she-cat with blue eyes (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw's daughter)

Bellaleaf – Aging pale orange she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet

Dovenose – Aging gray tabby tom with deep green eyes (Mintfur and Nettlesplash's son)

Whinchattail – Aging pale brown tabby she-cat with bright green eyes (Mintfur and Nettlesplash's daughter)

Diverleap – Older black and white tom with green eyes, former kittypet

Ospreyspots – Small black and white she-cat with blue eyes, former loner

Violetheart – Black and white she-cat with amber eyes, formerly of ShadowClan (Pebbleshine and Hawkstar's daughter)

Apprentice, Gullpaw

Silverpoppy – Small silver tabby she-cat with bright green eyes, former loner

Daisyfoot – Swift white she-cat with blue eyes and small silver tabby patches, former loner

Campionflight – Ginger she-cat with a white chest and paws, and blue eyes (Blossomheart and Daffodilfang's daughter)

Warblerflower – Pretty brown tabby, ginger, and white she-cat with green eyes, former loner

Flamenose – Ginger tom with blue eyes (Bellaleaf and Ivyface's son)

Ashheart – Gray tabby tom with green eyes (Newtmist's son)

Wisteriafang – Pale gray tabby tom with green eyes (Dovenose's son)

Oakstripe – Golden-brown tabby tom with a white chest and dark amber eyes, former loner

Kitewhisker – Mottled brown tabby and ginger she-cat with pale green eyes (Commaclaw and Cedarstorm's daughter)

Apprentice, Kestrelpaw

Wasptail – Pale ginger tom with a distinctive striped tail and amber eyes (Commaclaw and Cedarstorm's son)

Lapwingfang – Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes (Violetheart's daughter)

Bearwhisker – Large black tom with white paws and amber eyes (Violetheart's son)

Lichenheart – Gray tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright blue eyes (Flamenose's daughter)

Crowcloud – Black she-cat with dark green eyes (Birdwing's daughter)

Apprentices:

Kestrelpaw – Brown tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright amber eyes (Falconheart and Gingerstrike's daughter)

Gullpaw – White tom with gray patches and deep green eyes (Falconheart and Gingerstrike's son)

Queens:

Cricketsong – Small black she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet

Mother of Oakstripe's kits: Wrenkit and Flykit

Kits:

Wrenkit – Light brown tabby tom-kit with amber eyes and soft fur

Flykit – Tiny black she-kit with green eyes

Elders:

None

Cats Outside of the Clans

Former Clan Cats and Their Families

Crowfeather – Old dark gray, almost black, tom with blue eyes, formerly of WindClan

Leafpool – Old light brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws, and amber eyes, formerly ThunderClan medicine cat

Mother of Crowfeather's kit: Gale

Jayfeather – Aging gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes, formerly ThunderClan medicine cat

Half Moon – White she-cat with green eyes; revived, formerly of the Ancients

Mother of Jayfeather's kits: Silver Fern, Ice Moon, Wolf Feather, and Gray Leaf

Mole – Black tom with amber eyes (Leafpool and Crowfeather's son)

Patch – Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes; Mole's mate

Acorn – Brown tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes (Leafpool and Crowfeather's daughter)

Snowflake – White tom with green eyes; Acorn's mate

Gale – Pale gray tom-kit with green eyes

Silver Fern – White she-kit with silver-gray patches and bright blue eyes

Ice Moon – White she-kit with dark green eyes

Wolf Feather – Gray tabby tom-kit with blind blue eyes, a white chest, and white paws

Gray Leaf – Small dark gray tom-kit with bright green eyes

Loners and Rogues

Smoky – Old muscular gray and white tom with green eyes, lives at the Horseplace

Coriander – Aging tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes, lives at the Horseplace

Dottie – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes, lives at the Horseplace (Smoky and Coriander's daughter)

Mother of Stripes' kits: Tiger and Feather

Stripes – Gray tabby tom with blue eyes and prominent stripes, lives at the Horseplace; Dottie's mate

Tiger – Gray tabby, cream, and white she-kit with blue eyes, lives at the Horseplace

Feather – Gray tom-kit with amber eyes, lives at the Horseplace

* * *

A/N: Welcome to _Bramble's Sacrifice_. Let me go over some things that were not clear in the main part of the chapter.

Starting the story off with a death is maybe not the best way to go. I do wish I had some time to characterize Smallblaze first. But, I have a tendency to make very long chapters if I do not check myself. The other characters' remarks about her will have to do.

Bramblestar is over thirteen years old by the time of this story according to my calculations. Even kittypets start being considered old around that time. He knew that his life would be cut short soon no matter the cause.

I find that many _Warriors_ fans don't size younger cats well in fanart. Average three month (moon) old kittens are half of their adult size. The reason why cats start their apprenticeship at six moons is that they are three-quarters of their full size by this point.

As I have also talked about in the author's notes for _Berry's Loss_ , four moons old is the equivalent of six to eight years old for a kitten. Kids do not fully understand death in all its complexity until nine years old. But, that is still old enough for a kit to understand that they did something very wrong. Harestar will have no choice but to impose a severe consequence given what the end result is.

The WindClan cats searching for the kits will believe the ThunderClan cats given the evidence at the border. They do not know the whole story yet, however. The kits' mothers are frantic.

Tawnypelt was still close to Bramblestar despite the two of them being in different Clans. Informing her of her brother's death and inviting her to his vigil is the only right thing to do. ThunderClan knows she takes the moonhigh ShadowClan patrol a lot. Being an elderly ShadowClan warrior has its perks, like choosing one's patrols within reason.

Several ThunderClan cats do resent the kits for what happened. The reason they are not more hostile in this chapter is because of rule twelve in the warrior code: _a warrior must not neglect a kit in danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan_. I find that many stories go overboard when someone hates a kit for something. Yelling at kits, injuring kits, and denying kits food are not things likely tolerated in a Clan community.

Jayfeather still has his powers, so he will know that his daughter is dead shortly if he doesn't already. You will have to imagine his reaction as I'm staying by the lake in this story.

I found it appropriate to include all of Squirrelflight and Bramblestar's kits when talking about their family. Juniperkit and Dandelionkit were still their kits even if they didn't live very long. Squirrelflight keeps up the fiction of Jayfeather being dead as his being alive still is a secret.

 _Bramble's Sacrifice_ 's cover shows Bramblestar in the front, and the WindClan cats involved confronting the fox in the background. No blood is explicitly shown so people are not spooked.

Bramblestar is pictured as a broad strong cat. His shoulder scar was first mentioned in _Sunset_. His long fur was mentioned in _Bramblestar's Storm_. I gave him other scars to display his battle prowess and how much time has passed. I did not want him looking too much like Tigerstar, so his ear notch is in a W-shape instead of a V.

Brackenkit is the kit closest to the fox. Buzzardkit is next to her. They're supposed to be running towards the fox, but I didn't get it right. They are the most confrontational of the group.

The adult-sized cat is Harestar. He has a few added scars and silver on his muzzle because of his age. Blackbirdkit is the kit nearest to him. She was originally drawn with her broken leg, but space constraints forced it out of view.

There are not many real life cat colors where a cat can be mottled brown. I decided for simplicity and genetics that Frogkit and his mother are classic tabbies. Classic tabbies are among the least frequent types of tabby pattern occurring in the Clans and appear different enough from regular tabbies that the Clans don't see them as tabbies.

Frogkit's extensive injuries are from holding off the fox until Bramblestar arrived. He's been tore up like a ragdoll. But, even in his weakened state, he is willing to face the fox to protect his friends.

Dunlinkit is quite frankly scared out of his mind. His widened eyes and flattened ears are both feline body language for being scared. He's wishing he had not gotten involved with the fox at all. Blackbirdkit's ears are flattened in a similar way.

Harestar, Brackenkit, Buzzardkit, and Frogkit show more aggressive behavior with their ears pulled back, curled lips, and arched backs.

This story was supposed to be released with another story, _Squirrel's Abdication_. That story could be considered a sequel to this one. It will come out once I make a cover for it. The cover will be simpler than the one for _Bramble's Sacrifice_. It will probably be released in the next few weeks.

How did you like it?


	2. Part Two

Bramble's Sacrifice

Summary: After the death of a young Clanmate he had grown close to, Bramblestar starts feeling his age. He goes out on a private hunt to clear his head, only to find a group of older WindClan kits in trouble with a fox. He will save those kits from the consequences of their foolishness even if it's the last thing he does… and it is. Now ThunderClan and WindClan must deal with the fallout of Bramblestar's sacrifice. Part of the _Ghouls of the Clans_ series.

Warnings: OCs, violence, character death, death fic, kits in life-threatening/life-ending situations, tear jerker, canon deviations

Canon Deviation Warnings: Lake Territory!SkyClan, Powered!Three (they did not lose their powers permanently), Medicine Cats Allowed Mates and Kits, Altered Cat Descriptions (the Erins have not been consistent on cats' appearances or even their gender, so I made up my mind on some cats), AU after _Thunder and Shadow_

* * *

A WindClan patrol arrived to collect Harestar and the kits the next morning. They laid in the clearing around the medicine den as Cloudtail, Brightheart, Whitewing, Squirrelstar, Tawnypelt, Alderheart, Sparkpelt, and Lionblaze escorted Bramblestar's body out of the thorn tunnel.

The ThunderClan moonhigh patrol encountered Tawnypelt on the ShadowClan border. Once they informed her of her littermate's death, she requested to see him. Her heartbroken wail when she saw Bramblestar's body roused Harestar from his sleep temporarily.

Though she was tired from escorting the newly named Squirrelstar to the Moonpool, Dapplecloud sat with her charges. She carried her head low.

"I know that he's in StarClan, but it's hard knowing that he's gone," she whispered.

"He brought my mother and I into ThunderClan. He looked out for me. He counseled me when those rogue warriors killed Jayfeather. I am very thankful for what he did for me."

Harestar nodded at the ginger tabby and white she-cat.

"He was a good cat," he agreed.

An influx of WindClan scent came through the thorn tunnel. Five thin cats entered the ThunderClan camp. Two of them carried milky nursery scent, while another smelled heavily of herbs. The ThunderClan cats present turned their attention to the newcomers.

Smokefoot approached the patrol. He bowed his head to them.

"Kestrelflight, Brindletail, Sparrowstripe, Slightfoot, and Gorsetail, welcome to ThunderClan's camp. Harestar, Brackenkit, Frogkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, and Buzzardkit are over in the clearing by Dapplecloud's den," he informed them in a cracked voice.

Harestar blinked. What was one of his two elders doing in the patrol? Brindletail and Sparrowstripe had the excuse of being the kits' mothers, but Gorsetail was another story. Maybe Leaftail had placed her with the patrol because WindClan's number of warriors was low. An elder would appear less threatening.

Gorsetail dipped her head back to the dark gray tabby.

"I must apologize to your Clan, Smokefoot. I'm the one that told the kits exciting stories about foxes. I had no idea that they would seek one out. Are the poor dears okay?"

The new ThunderClan deputy laid his tail on the old she-cat's shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Gorsetail. Kits get weird ideas sometimes. The kits are injured to varying degrees. You are lucky that our Clan and your leader found them in time. I'm told that the fox was so starved that it kept trying to kill the kits even though two adult cats and some of the kits were attacking it."

Sparrowstripe's fur rose along her back. Brindletail and Slightfoot stiffened. Gorsetail's fur rose along her back. Smokefoot escorted the group to the medicine clearing. Kestrelflight padded up to Dapplecloud.

"Dapplecloud, you look exhausted," he commented.

"Was it a long night?"

The dappled she-cat nodded.

"Yes, it was. There was more to it than the kits' or Harestar's injuries. Did Cinderheart or Molewhisker tell you of the price we paid thanks to the fox?"

All of the WindClan cats shook their heads. ThunderClan probably did not want it known that Bramblestar died right away. Harestar waved his tail around.

"Dapplecloud, please let me tell my cats of the sacrifice made to save these kits," he requested.

The ThunderClan medicine cat nodded. Harestar spoke again in a grave tone.

"ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar found the kits being attacked before I did. He ambushed the creature with everything he had. It ripped a large chunk from his shoulder. Soon after we killed the fox together, Bramblestar collapsed. He had lost too much blood, and was on his last life. He died saving Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, Frogkit, and Buzzardkit from the fox."

The WindClan patrol froze for a moment. They all bowed their heads deeply with drooped ears.

"Dapplecloud, I am sorry my kits caused this," Sparrowstripe apologized.

She approached Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, and Blackbirdkit. She wrapped her tail around them.

"I'm just glad that you're safe," she sobbed to the kits.

Blackbirdkit nuzzled her mother's leg from where she laid down.

"I'm sorry too. I'll never do something so rabbit-brained again."

Slightfoot touched his nose to the black she-kit's forehead.

"We know."

Brindletail's mottled brown fur rose at the sight of Frogkit. He laid in the clearing shivering. His wound on his side reeked of infection despite Dapplecloud's best efforts.

"Frogkit," she whispered in horror.

The mottled brown tom-kit struggled to raise his head.

"Hi mom."

The kit's mother sniffed his wound. Her lips curled into a grimace.

"How did this wound get infected?"

Dapplecloud let out a soft sigh.

"Germs in the fox's saliva and forest debris while he made his way to the ThunderClan camp, most likely. I recommend carrying him on a warrior's back to your camp so his wound isn't strained further."

Kestrelflight nodded.

"We'll do that. What else do you recommend for each of them?"

The dappled medicine cat drew her long tail around her body.

"Frogkit and Blackbirdkit should be remanded to your medicine den once you are home. Frogkit's wound on his side is infected. The fox jerked around Blackbirdkit's hindleg a lot in its mouth. Her leg has a small break. Carry her to your camp instead of having her walk there."

She surveyed the other kits. She took a deep breath.

"Brackenkit has bite wounds on her side, tail, left ear, and right foreleg. She will be sore for days, but can walk by herself. Dunlinkit and Buzzardkit have more generalized injuries. None of the kits should engage in rough play for a quarter-moon at the least. Keep their wounds clean. Apply appropriate herbs daily."

She turned to Harestar next.

"The fox bit into Harestar's hind leg, and tore into his side. He should stay in camp for a half-moon except for maybe the next Gathering. Keep weight off of his leg. Apply herbs that prevent infection daily, and keep his wounds clean."

Slightfoot carefully grabbed Blackbirdkit by the scruff. He draped her over her mother's back. Her injured leg jutted out.

Brindletail slipped Frogkit over her back. She called Buzzardkit to her. The brown tabby tom-kit responded at once.

Kestrelflight and Gorsetail approached Harestar. They braced their leader's injured side.

Slightfoot called for Brackenkit and Dunlinkit. They approached the black tom with a white dash on his chest slowly with their tails between their legs.

Harestar blinked kindly at Dapplecloud.

"Dapplecloud, thank you. I am sorry this has happened. I will investigate this once I'm back at camp. Your Clan will hear my findings and any consequences from this event at the next Gathering."

The dappled she-cat nodded. Her small body shivered.

"I know, Harestar. Have a safe recovery. I look forward to hearing of your findings."

The WindClan patrol exited the ThunderClan camp. They slowly made their way home.

It was a tedious journey with the injuries Harestar and the kits sustained. The patrol had to stop a few times. Slightfoot churned out a new path through the Moonpool stream with his paws. The one Bramblestar had made had frozen overnight.

Harestar perked up as the group entered the moors. The peaty scent was welcoming him back home. It felt better in the open moors as opposed to the enclosed trees of ThunderClan territory. Snow covered the grassy terrain like a thick pelt.

The brown and white tom approached a scoop in the ground. He smelled his Clanmates waiting for him in the camp. Kestrelflight and Gorsetail helped him plunge down the scoop.

Most of WindClan's cats were absent from the camp. Leaftail probably sent them on patrol. The old dark ginger tabby greeted him just inside of the camp's entrance.

"Harestar, it's nice to have you back. How badly did the fox wound you and the kits?"

The WindClan leader grimaced.

"Bad enough that I will have to stay in camp for at least the next half-moon excluding the Gathering. Frogkit and Blackbirdkit will be staying in the medicine den for the foreseeable future. Leaftail, I will need you, Kestrelflight, the senior warriors, Squirrelfoot, Flintstorm, the queens, and the elders to speak with me later. The encounter with the fox has far-reaching consequences."

The old dark ginger tabby blinked. He bowed deeply.

"I understand. Where should we all talk?"

The old brown and white tom pointed to the elders' den with a front paw.

"The elders' den. I don't want the rest of our Clan to know the full details of what happened until we discuss it. Our Clan does not have many dens. The medicine den and the nursery are not good places to have our conversation. Please stay in camp until I call for you."

Leaftail turned to Kestrelflight.

"Where are you going to lay Harestar down? I'll have one of the apprentices come make him a soft nest."

The mottled brownish-gray tom with white splotches quirked his head.

"I'm not sure yet. He's not injured enough to stay in my den, but I don't think leaving him out in the open like most of our Clan is used to is a good idea. He would have a hard time making it down one of our underground bad weather dens."

Gorsetail's blue eyes shone.

"I have an idea. He can nest with Nightcloud and I until he recovers. He's about old enough to be considered an elder anyway."

Harestar dipped his head.

"That's a very kind offer. I think I will do so."

Kestrelflight and Gorsetail led him towards an old badger set. He heard a young voice call out in shock.

"Dad!"

A splotched brown tabby and white she-cat ran up to the old brown and white tom. Her fur rose along her back. Her pale blue eyes were wide in distress.

Harestar laid his muzzle on the apprentice's forehead.

"It's okay, Chipmunkpaw. I will be fine."

The blood dirt fever had taken the lives of many cats from each Clan when it struck years ago. Older cats that would normally reside in the elders' den stepped up as parents so their Clans still had a future. Harestar became such an old parent when he sired Chipmunkpaw and her brother Chervilpaw. He blinked kindly at his daughter.

"You would be a great help if you could gather moss and feathers for my nest. I need to stay with the elders for a little while. Could you also talk to your mentor Flintstorm once you see her? I need to speak with her about when she was on sentry duty two nights ago."

Chipmunkpaw nodded.

"I'll get Flintstorm for you. Is this about Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, Frogkit, and Buzzardkit escaping the camp?"

The old brown and white tom sighed.

"Yes. I can't you everything yet, but your mentor and Squirrelfoot were on guard when they left. They should have noticed the kits leaving. I want to ensure this does not happen again."

The splotched brown tabby and white she-cat streaked for a dark reddish-brown she-cat with white paws. The dark reddish-brown she-cat's ears pricked in the direction of the apprentice. The pair left the WindClan camp together.

Gorsetail assisted Harestar in entering the elders' den. A black she-cat blinked at them.

"Why is Harestar leaning on you, Gorsetail? Where have you been?"

The very pale gray and white she-cat let out a long sigh.

"I was helping Kestrelflight, Slightfoot, Brindletail, and Sparrowstripe escort Harestar and the kits home from ThunderClan. You wouldn't believe it, Nightcloud. That fox got Harestar and the kits bad. Frogkit has a wound on his side festering with infection!"

Nightcloud rose from her nest. She sniffed Harestar as she circled him.

"I see what you mean. That leg wound looks nasty. Are you staying with us for a while, Harestar?"

The old brown and white tom nodded.

"Yes. Kestrelflight does not want me nesting in the open with my injuries. Just to warn you Nightcloud, we will be having a meeting later here about the fox. The cats present will be you, Gorsetail, the queens, Squirrelfoot, Flintstorm, the senior warriors, Kestrelflight, Leaftail, and I."

The black she-cat pricked her ears. She twitched her whiskers.

"Oh, really? What is there to discuss? Couldn't you handle punishment for the kits, queens, and warriors on sentry duty that night privately?"

The old brown and white tom shook his head. He sighed.

"Not anymore. The fox led the kits to the ThunderClan border. ThunderClan paid a heavy price for the kits' disobedience. We will hold an investigation to ensure this does not happen again."

At that moment, Chipmunkpaw entered the elders' den. She carried a large ball of moss under her chin. It was mixed with grouse feathers.

"I brought you moss and feathers, dad."

The splotched brown tabby and white she-cat spread out the moss in a bare part of the den. She pressed the moss with her paws. The nest ended up very thick.

Gorsetail led Harestar to it. He laid down on the moss. He purred at his kit.

"Thank you, Chipmunkpaw. It feels great. Tell your mother and brother that I want to see them after I've had a nap."

Chipmunkpaw dipped her head.

"I will, dad. Please feel better."

The old brown and white tom felt tired in moments. He allowed himself to slip into sleep.

* * *

Harestar woke up to his entire family sleeping around him. A warm feeling entered his chest at the sight. His white mate Bluetnose was snuggled up at his back. Chervilpaw nuzzled into his belly. Chipmunkpaw laid by his head.

His blue eyes took in Bluetnose. She was a former kittypet that joined WindClan years ago when the shadow demons of the Dark Forest had begun targeting Twolegs. She adapted to the moors very easily despite her former cushy life. Her nose could detect the minutest of weather changes on the breeze.

The white she-cat suddenly twitched. She opened her pale blue eyes.

"Harestar, you're awake. I was so worried about you. Kestrelflight claimed that a fox messed up your leg. There won't be any permanent damage, will there? Gorsetail claimed the fox was vicious."

The old brown and white tom shook his head at his talkative mate. She sounded worried for him. Gorsetail must have exaggerated what happened.

"No, Bluetnose. My leg will be fine. The fox is dead. ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar and I killed it."

Bluetnose let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank StarClan. I can't believe that Dunlinkit, Brackenkit, Blackbirdkit, Buzzardkit, and Frogkit stumbled upon it so easily. What if it got to Chipmunkpaw and Chervilpaw? They're not fully-grown yet. I hope Leaftail's patrols chased out any remaining foxes."

Harestar licked her ears.

"I'm sure they have. We have great warriors."

Chervilpaw stirred. He opened his blue eyes.

"Hi, dad. Are you feeling any better?"

The old brown and white tom purred.

"A little. I hope I didn't scare you."

The white apprentice licked his father's side.

"Only a little. Asphodeltail told me that it was not like you lost a life. She saw Kestrelflight and Gorsetail assisting you into the camp. What was the fox like?"

Harestar shivered. He remembered the emaciated creature. It never tried fleeing the battle even though two Clan leaders, Frogkit, Brackenkit, and Buzzardkit had been attacking it. It was like the fox decided it had no choice but to stay and fight.

"It was mangy with its ribs sticking out. Its amber eyes had sunken into its head. It was as if the fox had been starved to the point of desperation. It tried killing the kits even as several of them and two adult cats attacked it. The other cat and I were forced to kill it."

Chervilpaw's fur rose along his back. He gasped.

"It sounds frightening. Who helped you kill it? It couldn't have been a WindClan warrior."

The old brown and white tom laid his tail on his son's shoulders.

"It was ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar, Chervilpaw. He was there before I located the kits. If it weren't for him, the kits would walk with StarClan."

Chipmunkpaw had woken up as he spoke with her brother. She nuzzled her father.

"We're lucky. Sparrowstripe and Brindletail would have been devastated."

Bluetnose moved around the nest. She encircled her kits and mate with her tail.

"That we are. It's by StarClan's blessing that those kits survived. We need to make the camp safer so the kits can't sneak out so easily. We will not be so lucky next time. I'll run out foxes and badgers from dawn to dusk if that is what's needed to keep my Clan and kits safe."

Leaftail popped his dark ginger tabby head inside of the elders' den.

"Harestar, it's about sundown. I think it's time to have that meeting. Would you like some fresh-kill first?"

Harestar's belly rumbled. He nodded.

"Yes, please. I would like a rabbit if there's one on the fresh-kill pile."

His deputy's head vanished from the opening of the den. He turned to his kits.

"Chipmunkpaw, Chervilpaw, I'm going to have an important meeting with the senior warriors, queens, elders, Leaftail, and Kestrelflight after I eat. It's about the fox. Could you keep an eye on all of the kits in the medicine den? Ryepaw will join you."

The two apprentices dipped their heads.

"You can count on us dad," Chervilpaw assured him.

Chipmunkpaw tilted her head. Her whiskers twitched.

"What about Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, and Buzzardkit? They're in the nursery."

The old brown and white tom purred.

"They will join their denmates in the medicine den during the meeting. Asphodeltail will also be there to assist you. Don't let them anywhere near Kestrelflight's herb stores. Remember that they're injured. No rough play."

The splotched brown tabby and white she-cat nodded. She and her brother left the den as Leaftail brought down a rabbit for the WindClan leader.

Harestar tore into the long-eared creature. The flesh tasted great. Only the fur and bones were left before he realized it. He pushed the remains aside. He turned his head to his deputy.

"Bring everyone in now. Assign Asphodeltail and Ryepaw to kit-sitting along with Chervilpaw and Chipmunkpaw. Sprucepelt and Mintclaw will guard the camp. Move all of the kits to the medicine den so Asphodeltail and the apprentices can keep a better watch on them."

Leaftail bowed his head.

"Of course, Harestar. I will give out orders right away."

The next few moments consisted of the dark ginger tabby giving out orders from just outside the elders' den. The senior warriors, the queens, Flintstorm, Squirrelfoot, and the elders squeezed inside of the old badger set.

It took longer for Kestrelflight to arrive, as he had to make sure his patients were not left unattended. The brownish-gray tom with white splotches stepped into the elders' den a few moments later.

Harestar overlooked the group. It was a sad gathering of twenty-one cats counting the WindClan leader. Only three of his younger warriors, his three apprentices, and the five kits that the fox had nearly killed were not present. It showed him how the blood dirt fever and other events had ravaged his Clan. Young cats did not survive well in the aftermath of the tragedies. He cleared his throat.

"I have called this council this evening to address Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, Frogkit, and Buzzardkit's escape from our camp two nights ago. They snuck out only to confront a fox. They survived the encounter. However, their disobedience against the rules against kits being allowed out of camp led to harm. Another Clan has paid a heavy price for our young cats' actions."

He allowed his Clan to absorb what he had just told them. Gorsetail, Sparrowstripe, Brindletail, Kestrelflight and Slightfoot held their heads low. An aging light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a gray tabby she-cat shivered. A spotted gray tabby tom leaned into the aging light brown tabby. He spoke up.

"Harestar, how did you save the kits? Which Clan paid the price for our kits' bad behavior?"

The old brown and white tom faced the spotted gray tabby. He was a former loner named Basilwhisker. This affected him personally as he was Frogkit and Buzzardkit's adoptive grandfather. He and Heathertail fell in love sometime after Breezepelt's banishment and death.

"I nearly did not find them in time," Harestar admitted.

"I found the five kits on the ThunderClan border. ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar had located them before I picked up a whiff. He and Brackenkit were attacking the fox with everything they had. I joined in. The fox was ravaged with hunger. Its ribs jutted out. It refused to leave even with several cats attacking it."

He paused for breath. He remembered Buzzardkit snapping at the ginger creature's belly. Frogkit had been covered with blood on his injured side. A viciousness had entered Brackenkit's green eyes that he had never seen before. He continued on with the account.

"Buzzardkit entered the battle at some point to snap at the fox's belly. His denmate Buzzardkit pulled him back before he entered extreme danger. Bramblestar and I had no choice but to kill the fox. …Bramblestar collapsed soon after we verified its death. The fox had torn out a large chunk of his shoulder. He bled out. It was his ninth life."

The assembled cats froze. No cat knew how to respond, it seemed. Emberfoot eventually bowed his head. A large number of cats followed the gray tom with dark paws' example.

"This is a tragedy. Bramblestar was a great leader for his Clan. We should apologize to ThunderClan on the kits' behalf."

A dappled black and white queen with a heavily pregnant belly stared at her paws.

"This shouldn't have happened. I was the last queen to go to sleep. When I entered the nursery that night, every other cat was resting. Dunlinkit was snoring with his belly in the air! Every queen and kits' eyes were shut tight."

A pale brown tabby tom leaned against her.

"It's okay, Brightcloud. No one is blaming you."

Brightcloud nuzzled the tom's face.

"I know, Oatclaw. I just wish one of us noticed. I hope I'm not a poor mother when they come."

Harestar sat up for a moment. At least he knew the queen were not negligent. He laid his tail on the distraught queen's shoulders.

"I'm sure you will be a great mother, Brightcloud. To get back on topic, I questioned the kits about why they escaped our camp while ThunderClan treated us for injuries. They claimed that they wanted to see a real fox after hearing some stories about one."

The brown and white tom paused. Nightcloud and a small dark gray she-cat with green eyes glared disapprovingly at Gorsetail. The very pale gray and white elder lowered her head in shame.

"Blackbirdkit and Buzzardkit were the original ones to come up with the idea. Dunlinkit and Frogkit were the ones that set up a ruse for our queens. They carefully moved moss balls roughly shaped to look like kits at their mothers' bellies. The kits smothered the moss balls in their scent."

Slightfoot sighed.

"What troublemakers they are. We apparently can't leave them alone in their own den."

The old brown and white twitched his whiskers. He returned the sigh.

"It's troubling. Frogkit took charge of defending the group when the fox first attacked them. As most of you know, that has left him with an infected wound on his side. I'm hoping that he makes it. How has he been doing, Kestrelflight?"

The brownish-gray tom with white splotches shook his head.

"Not good. He's burning with fever despite Dapplecloud's best efforts and mine. He started growing delirious when Asphodeltail, Ryepaw, Chervilpaw, and Chipmunkpaw came in with his denmates. I fear there's internal damage. If his fever does not break soon, Bramblestar will not be the only fatality of this mess."

Brindletail shuddered. She cried out.

"Please, not my son! He shouldn't have to pay for his mistake with his life."

Heathertail approached the mottled brown she-cat. She stroked her distraught daughter's back with her tail.

"Shhh. Kestrelflight will do his best to save Frogkit," the aging light brown tabby assured.

Brindletail faced the rest of the council. Her ears laid back against her head.

"It is as Brightcloud said. Sparrowstripe and I only went to sleep after we verified our kits had dozed off. We sounded the alarm as soon as we realized those blobs of moss were not our kits."

Sparrowstripe lowered her thin body into a crouch. Her pelt bristled.

"I know that Dunlinkit is a troublemaker for all that I love him. I keep a close eye on him and his littermates. I fell into sleep only after watching my kits do so."

Harestar fanned his tail out. The gathered cats grew silent. He addressed the crowd.

"Blackbirdkit sustained a small break in her leg when the fox jerked around the limb in its mouth among other wounds. While I am not a medicine cat, a fracture like hers may need a long time to heal. Kestrelflight, what is your opinion?"

The WindClan medicine cat pricked his ears forward.

"One moon at the most. It will completely heal so long as she doesn't put any weight on it for the next moon. She will especially have to avoid jumping. The only playing she'll be allowed to do for the near future is toss the moss ball, memory games, and games involving telling one scent from another."

Sparrowstripe and Slightfoot shared a sigh in relief. Kestrelflight continued his report.

"Brackenkit sustained lacerations on her right side, left ear, tail, and right foreleg from the fox biting her. I suspect her ear will end up torn, but she will otherwise recover after a half-moon."

Bluetnose, a small ginger tom with amber eyes, Flintstorm, and Squirrelfoot's fur rose on their backs. They were probably horrified how close WindClan had come to losing all of their kits.

Kestrelflight took in a deep breath. He sighed.

"Dunlinkit has a torn right ear, a laceration on his left hindleg, a smaller injury on his left shoulder, and small bite in his left side. He'll be down for around a quarter-moon. Buzzardkit has a shallow wound in his back, a laceration on his right foreleg, and a bite injury on his tail. He will also heal in a quarter-moon."

The gathered cats murmured among themselves. Brindletail calmed down slightly. Harestar took back control of the discussion.

"Before we discuss punishment for any guilty parties, I need to know if we have spotted any more foxes on our territory. What have your patrols found, Leaftail?"

The old dark ginger tabby tom stared at the ground. His ears flattened against his head.

"We found a fox den a short distance from the camp with a she-fox heavily pregnant with cubs. She was dead. Her ribs showed through her fur despite her swollen belly, which has me thinking she died of starvation. Leafbare has been rough."

Harestar had to agree. All of the cats gathered in the elders' den had at least one set of ribs showing. He laid his head on his front paws.

"Next, I want to hear from Squirrelfoot and Flintstorm."

The reddish-brown tom and the dark reddish-brown she-cat with white paws approached the WindClan leader. They held their heads low. They knew they were in trouble.

The old brown and white tom addressed Squirrelfoot first.

"Squirrelfoot, Brightcloud has provided me with an explanation why the queens did not notice their kits' escape. Please explain to me how you did not pick up on the kits leaving camp."

The reddish-brown tom froze. His body shivered.

"I never noticed them Harestar," he stuttered.

"My sense of smell isn't great. I rely on my eyesight to find prey. It was after moonhigh. Everything looks nearly the same color under the moonlight. I didn't hear anything, either. Every cat was where they should have been from what I had seen."

Harestar nodded at the recollection. His warrior was telling him the truth. Squirrelfoot would never win praise for his sense of smell. Some crueler Clanmates speculated it was from him being a former kittypet. He actually lost most of it during a fire that claimed his old Twolegnest. Smoke could do horrible things to a cat.

But, he did well in the area WindClan was most known for. He ran across the moors as if he were WindClan-born. He worked very hard to prove his worth as a warrior. Squirrelfoot probably felt like he had committed a major failure.

Harestar turned his attention to Flintstorm. His blue gaze grew hard.

"Flintstorm, why did you not notice the kits leaving the nursery?"

The dark reddish-brown she-cat with white paws crouched down. Her fur rose along her back.

"I was tired, okay?! I began to nod off as I patrolled the southern part of the camp. The nursery is in the northern part of our camp, so I didn't notice anything wrong. Everyone's scents drifted from either their dens or where most of the Clan gathers outside to sleep together. I heard one loud squeak that sounded like Brackenkit, but I had dismissed it from feeling so tired."

The old brown and white leader scrutinized the dark reddish-brown she-cat with white paws. It was one thing to feel tired. It was quite another to ignore kits escaping under one's nose. Why didn't she alert another cat that she was too tired to take sentry duty? She could have at least woken up Kestrelflight.

Five kits nearly died from her inattentiveness. Was this the cat that trained Harestar's daughter? It looked like Chipmunkpaw would lose her mentor for at least a while. The old brown and white tom growled.

"You dozed off while you were supposed to protect your Clan. That includes preventing kits from making moonhigh escapes from camp. Five kits nearly died from a fox attack that you could have helped avoid. How am I to trust you with mentoring my kit?"

Flintstorm's tail drooped as low as her ears. She kept her amber eyes to the ground. The gathered WindClan cats stayed silent for a few moments so their leader could regain his composure.

Harestar reflected that Flintstorm was Squirrelfoot's daughter. Her father had done his duty only for his sense of smell to fail him. She, on the other paw, had fallen asleep while she was supposed to be guarding the camp. The two cases would warrant different consequences.

The old tom took in a deep breath.

"We will now discuss punishment for any guilty or negligent parties. Keep in mind that I will not accept excessive punishments like exile. If any cat has anything else to contribute before we start, speak now."

The other gathered WindClan cats kept silent. The brown and white tom took this as permission to begin.

"We will start with the queens. Does any cat believe that they were negligent?"

A small dark gray she-cat with green eyes shook her head.

"No. They did all they really could have done to prevent a sneak out. The only thing that could have prevented it was if the queens were awake all of the time. That is not possible."

Emberfoot shook his head. He stared at his darker front paws.

"I agree with Shortflower. They performed their duties to the best of their abilities. Looking after kits is tiring work. Making them stay awake during the night as well would be too much to ask."

Featherpelt approached Sparrowstripe. She licked her daughter's head.

"They did not neglect their kits. Even if Brightcloud saw them, what would have she have been able to do? Most of the Clan was asleep by that point. She wouldn't have been able to run after them with her heavily pregnant belly."

The gathered cats gradually put in negative votes for the verdict. Brightcloud, Brindletail, and Sparrowstripe sighed in relief. Harestar rose into a sitting position.

"I then declare the queens clear of any neglect. Our next vote is for the sentries from two nights ago. Does any cat think that Squirrelfoot or Flintstorm was negligent in their duties?"

Bluetnose narrowed her eyes.

"I believe that Squirrelfoot did his best with his duties. Flintstorm is another story. She admitted to falling asleep when she should have been guarding the camp."

Oatclaw faced Squirrelfoot. He snarled at the reddish-brown tom.

"I say both of them are guilty. That kittypet should have noticed that the kits left even if he has no sense of smell to speak of. His daughter is obviously tainted by his blood—"

Shortflower shoved herself between the pale brown tabby tom and her mate. She curled her lip.

"Are you calling my mate and daughter _tainted_ by their blood? I'd like to remind you Oatclaw that most of WindClan's members have at least some outside blood these days. You are insulting quite a few cats in the council."

Oatclaw spat in her face.

"Yes, I am. At least most of our other Clanmates that were not born here still lived wild before they came to us. What about him? He never hunted before his beloved Twolegs died."

Harestar clenched his teeth. His injured leg ached, but he could not let anarchy rein. He ran towards the pale brown tabby. He pulled Oatclaw away from Shortflower and her family by his tail.

"Oatclaw, stop! I will not stand for this kind of behavior. I will eject you from the council and assign you a punishment of your own if you do not act appropriately."

The pale brown tabby faced Harestar. He shrank back from his leader. He moved towards the back of the elders' den.

The WindClan leader limped back to his nest. That had stung given Bluetnose's origins. He addressed his Clanmates.

"I am sorry you had to see that. Let me make this clear. If any other cat uses their opinion of Squirrelfoot and by extension Flintstorm's heritage to determine their guilt, that cat will be ejected from the council. That cat will have to explain themselves to Leaftail, Kestrelflight, our younger warriors, the apprentices, the kits, and me. Is that understood?"

A few cats grumbled. They eventually nodded. The WindClan cats resumed taking votes on Squirrelfoot and Flintstorm's guilt.

Most considered Flintstorm negligent. Squirrelfoot was harder to determine. Some cats considered him free of blame. Others however thought he should have noticed something as he patrolled the half of the camp that housed the nursery. The WindClan cats quietly bickered.

Harestar fanned his tail for silence. He addressed his Clanmates.

"It is agreed that Flintstorm was negligent. It appears however that we cannot come to an agreement about Squirrelfoot. Squirrelfoot, how do you see your actions?"

The reddish-brown tom stared at his paws. He held his tail between his legs.

"It appears I was negligent Harestar, even if I tried my best. I should have noticed the kits leaving camp."

The old brown and white tom blinked kindly at Squirrelfoot.

"I know you tried. Squirrelfoot is declared unintentionally negligent. He will receive a lesser punishment than Flintstorm."

The gathered group seemed to agree on the compromise. Harestar then started up a discussion for Flintstorm's punishment. Several cats agreed with stripping her of Chipmunkpaw as her apprentice. Many cats thought that she should be assigned apprentice duties.

Harestar thought that the suggestions were reasonable considering that WindClan nearly lost all of their kits from her inattention. He waved his tail for silence.

"Enough. If Flintstorm cannot be trusted with keeping watch over our camp, she cannot be trusted with an apprentice. I am taking away Chipmunkpaw as her apprentice for at least two moons. Flintstorm will spend the first of those moons living as an apprentice herself. She will sleep in their den, and perform apprentice duties under the guidance of another warrior."

The dark reddish-brown she-cat's fur bristled all over her body. However, she wisely chose not to protest.

Harestar then started up the discussion for Squirrelfoot's punishment. The voting for that was simple. Most cats with a few exceptions like Nightcloud or Oatclaw felt that he only deserved a few days of in-camp duties if that. The WindClan leader nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright then. Squirrelfoot will perform in-camp duties for three days. It is now time to vote on the kits."

There was no question that the kits were guilty of leaving camp. Voting if they were guilty or not was merely a formality. Every voting cat put in an answer of "yes". The old brown and white tom sighed.

"We agree that they were guilty of leaving the camp. Do any of you believe that their actions indirectly killed Bramblestar of ThunderClan?"

The cats paused for a moment. Leaftail bowed his head.

"As sad as it is to think so, yes."

Most of the WindClan cats agreed with their deputy. Harestar rose into a sitting position once more.

"We are then in agreement. While they did not mean to cause harm, Frogkit, Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, and Buzzardkit's actions have indirectly killed the leader of another Clan. What do you suggest for their punishment? Remember that if you suggest an inappropriate punishment, I will invoke my powers as leader and decide on it myself."

A small ginger tom curled his tail around his body.

"I think they need extremely close supervision," he voiced.

"They should be confined to the area around the nursery until they prove themselves more trustworthy. If they need to travel anywhere else, like the dirtplace, the elders' den, or the medicine den, one of the queens or a trusted warrior needs to escort them."

Nightcloud narrowed her eyes. She growled.

"They were old enough to know this was a bad idea. I would hold their apprenticeships back by one moon. Show them that their poor choices have a price."

Slightfoot paced around a small patch of the elders' den. He closed his eyes.

"There is no question they did wrong. But, why give them all the same punishment? Some of the kits are less at fault than others."

The small ginger tom nodded in agreement.

"That's a good point, Slightfoot. Blackbirdkit and Buzzardkit were the ones to come up with the harebrained idea. There's also the problem of them sustaining different injuries. That will affect how we can discipline them."

Kestrelflight glanced at all of the warriors.

"I agree with Stoatstep. We should punish them as individuals. If Blackbirdkit is not able to play with her denmates for the next moon, she cannot perform chore duty either. I don't even know if Frogkit is going to make it."

Brindletail shuddered. She curled her tail around her body.

"He's got to make it," she whispered.

Basilwhisker leaned into her.

"He will. He's strong," he assured her.

A pale gray she-cat laid her tail on Kestrelflight's shoulder.

"How about we have Buzzardkit help with in-camp duties once he recovers?" she suggested.

"He came up with the idea, and unlike Blackbirdkit, can deal will a more active punishment."

Oatclaw purred with approval.

"The idea has merit, Larkwing. Dunlinkit can join him. He's among the least injured of the kits. He did trick the queens into believing that none of them left. It would keep him too busy to cause more trouble, at least."

Many of the gathered cats mewed with agreement. Harestar spoke up.

"I think I'm liking this idea as well. All of the kits will remain under heavy supervision if not around the nursery area. Their apprenticeships will be delayed by one moon. But, anything else will depend on their individual actions and physical conditions. I approve of Buzzardkit and Dunlinkit's punishment."

WindClan's warriors started exchanging ideas of what to do with Blackbirdkit next.

"She's already been punished enough with her broken leg. I say leave her be," an aging brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes argued.

Sparrowstripe shook her head.

"I don't think so, Sedgewhisker. I am her mother, and I believe she needs a consequence. Her leg does limit what we can do to punish her. Maybe she could help Kestrelflight in herb sorting as she becomes more mobile?"

Featherpelt gestured to the elders with her tail.

"Blackbirdkit's injuries have punished her for the most part. How about she visits Gorsetail and Nightcloud for a few cautionary tales as her leg heals? That would remind her to never leave camp again until she's old enough."

Gorsetail nodded in approval.

"I would be willing to do that. That are a lot of different stories we could use. A lot of us heard of when Jayfeather of ThunderClan and his siblings were nearly killed when they tracked down fox cubs."

Nightcloud twitched her whiskers. She curled her tail around her body.

"That is a good story. We could also tell them about Perchkit of RiverClan. I still can't believe his Clan didn't notice that he snuck out of camp to catch a fish until it was too late."

Harestar overlooked his Clan. He believed that Blackbirdkit's injuries were sufficient punishment. He spoke up.

"I think we will go with Featherpelt's idea. Blackbirdkit will listen to cautionary stories from the elders once she can leave the medicine den. Does anyone have ideas for Frogkit's punishment should he recover?"

Shortflower raised up one of her front paws.

"Harestar, before we talk about Frogkit's punishment, I think we should ask Kestrelflight how long his recovery will be should he survive."

Kestrelflight bowed his head. He sighed.

"If Frogkit survives, and I will tell you right now it's a big if, he will have to contend with infection. He has multiple large wounds from the fox besides the ragged wound on his side that I'm worried about. He will be down for a moon or more."

The gathered cats froze. Slightfoot, Sparrowstripe, Brindletail, Heathertail, Gorsetail, Shortflower, Squirrelfoot, and Bluetnose's pelts fluffed up.

Nightcloud broke the silence. Even her fur was starting to rise. It would make sense that she cared about Frogkit, as his mother was the black elder's granddaughter.

"I think then that Frogkit should listen to our cautionary stories once he's well enough. Should he sadly pass into StarClan's paws, they will judge him."

The WindClan cats agreed with her. The conversation moved on to Brackenkit and her role in events.

"Harestar, what did Brackenkit say to you about her role in events?"

Harestar shuffled his paws. Brackenkit held the least blame for the events that ended Bramblestar's life. She only accompanied her denmates so she would feel accepted. She felt a little lonely as none of her denmates had the same interests she did. That was what the WindClan leader emphasized.

"If she were alone, Brackenkit would have stayed in the nursery where she belonged. While she did make her own choice, her denmates pressured her into joining them. She did not come up with the idea. She did not participate in tricking the queens. She has apparently not been accepted by her denmates because she has different interests than they do."

His Clanmates listened to his characterization of Brackenkit. He continued on.

"According to her, the other kits have already started to find what they are good at. Brackenkit is not showing signs of skill in any one area. She's the odd one out."

Emberfoot scratched his muzzle with his paw.

"It sounds like not finding where her skills are has isolated her. I think that a half-moon stint of chore duty would be enough. It sounds like Brackenkit needs understanding more than anything. Maybe the apprentices and willing warriors should spend time with her."

Most of the cats deferred to the gray tom with darker front paws. They agreed with his assessment. Several warriors volunteered to talk with Brackenkit.

"It could be that her skills lay in an obscure area like diplomacy or mothering," Shortflower pointed out.

Harestar craned his head outside the elders' den. It was approaching moonhigh. He knew this meeting would take a while, but had not realized now long it had been. He limped back to his nest.

"We have now dealt with discipline. Before I dismiss you, what would any of you suggest to prevent this from happening again?"

Nightcloud glanced in Gorsetail's direction.

"I believe that we all should be more careful with stories, particularly about glamorizing the outside of our camp. Whenever a story takes place in the territory, emphasize how dangerous it is. Show our kits and apprentices that the freedom of the forest comes with risks."

Leaftail stared at the ground. He sighed.

"I take full blame for placing Squirrelfoot on night sentry duty even though his lack of smell leaves him unsuited to the task. I propose that he and others unsuited to the position only take it up if no other cat is available."

The WindClan cats murmured among themselves. They agreed with their deputy's proposition.

Bluetnose spoke next.

"I think we should station a third sentry by the nursery at night in case the kits try sneaking off again. Our camp is the most open of any Clan. Another idea is enclosing an area around the nursery with bramble. We would include a tunnel that would only allow one adult-sized cat inside it at once."

A few warriors disagreed with it as they prided themselves on being the closest to StarClan. Enclosing part of their camp would defeat the point of it in their opinion. A couple complained about lost sleep. Harestar fanned his tail for silence.

"Bluetnose, you have a point. While I do not see the point of a bramble barrier, I agree with you about a night nursery sentry. Any cat up for that task would sleep in the next day just like the regular night sentries."

The brown and white tom looked at the various faces that made up his Clan. He addressed them.

"I am proud to have devoted Clanmates such as you all. Thank you for keeping up with duties while the kits and I were with ThunderClan. We will apologize at the next Gathering for the kits' indirect role in Bramblestar's death. You are all dismissed. Good night."

The WindClan cats brightened at his praise. They twitched their whiskers. They slowly made their way out of the elders' den.

Bluetnose nuzzled Harestar's face.

"Good night, Harestar. I'll miss you."

The old brown and white tom returned the nuzzle. He purred.

"It's only for a half-moon, Bluetnose. You can still see me every morning. Good night."

The white she-cat stepped out of the elders' den. Nightcloud paced around her nest.

"I closed my heart after Crowfeather left and my son performed that horrific crime. It's bad enough that Brindletail lost her father, her sister Smokerunner, her grandmother Whitetail, her grandfathers Crowfeather and Onestar, and is raising her kits without a father. She does not need to lose Frogkit. She's been punished enough."

Harestar limped over to the black elder. He laid a tail on her shoulder.

"I know, Nightcloud. I know. She does not deserve this."

The brown and white tom slipped back into his nest. He thought of Frogkit. He prayed that the mottled brown tom-kit would survive.

* * *

A/N: Here's part two of _Bramble's Sacrifice_. Let me go over things that were not immediately clear.

I'm sorry if this chapter was a little long for your taste. However, Harestar did need to hold a council with his Clan about what happened. I tried mentioning every cat present at least once.

WindClan has not had a good last few years. Many of their current warriors are aging, elderly, or otherwise 'up there' in age. They endured catastrophe better than their younger cats. That is why Leaftail sent Gorsetail. The other warriors were needed for different duties, and who is going to argue with an elder if she volunteers?

I had originally listed Onestar and Whitetail as Chipmunkpaw and Chervilpaw's parents. But, I realized they would be dead by the time they were born (especially Onestar). I looked at the WindClan allegiances again, realized that Harestar never had kits even he would make a good choice as a father, and changed their parentage while creating an additional parent OC.

Perchkit of RiverClan would be from _Mistystar's Omen_. He's Mistystar's son. When Su Susann ran the ' _Missing Kits_ ' on Vicky's Facebook, she gave out his fate as what I described here. While Su did not make good decisions on occasion, mainly with deciding who went to the Dark Forest and who did not, I consider Vicky throwing her under the bus and declaring the information she gave out as non-canon as nasty business. Months of released information destroyed by one post…

Yes, Brindletail has had a rough time of it. I started work on the _Ghouls of the Clans_ series even before _The Last Hope_. Crowfeather and Leafpool left together a little bit after the blood dirt fever starting taking hold.

Smokerunner died of the blood dirt fever. Onestar was weakened from the blood dirt fever, and died shortly after Jayfeather's unsanctioned banishment instead of Darktail killing him like in canon. Whitetail passed of old age. The father of Brindletail's kits was a passing loner.

How did you like it?


	3. Part Three

Bramble's Sacrifice

Summary: After the death of a young Clanmate he had grown close to, Bramblestar starts feeling his age. He goes out on a private hunt to clear his head, only to find a group of older WindClan kits in trouble with a fox. He will save those kits from the consequences of their foolishness even if it's the last thing he does… and it is. Now ThunderClan and WindClan must deal with the fallout of Bramblestar's sacrifice. Part of the _Ghouls of the Clans_ series.

Warnings: OCs, violence, character death, death fic, kits in life-threatening/life-ending situations, tear jerker, canon deviations

Canon Deviation Warnings: Lake Territory!SkyClan, Powered!Three (they did not lose their powers permanently), Medicine Cats Allowed Mates and Kits, Altered Cat Descriptions (the Erins have not been consistent on cats' appearances or even their gender, so I made up my mind on some cats), AU after _Thunder and Shadow_

Additional Warning: Attempted desecration of the dead. The cat involved is crazed from starvation, and mistakes the dead individual's corpse for stolen prey.

* * *

Harestar kept an ear out for any news regarding the kits' recoveries as his leg mended. Kestrelflight gave him updates each time he came over to inspect the WindClan leader's wounds.

Most of the progress was positive. Dunlinkit and Buzzardkit's wounds were closing up. Brackenkit chatted with Shortflower a lot whenever the dark gray she-cat was around the nursery area. Even Blackbirdkit was showing more interest in her surroundings. She decided that helping Kestrelflight identify herbs was a great new game.

The same sadly could not be said of Frogkit. The mottled brown tom-kit remained trapped in a world of feverish dreams. His mother Brindletail came by several times a day with Buzzardkit to grind up prey and massage it down his throat. All of WindClan was worried about him.

A few ThunderClan patrols provoked confrontations over the border thanks to WindClan's involvement in Bramblestar's death. They stopped after a couple of days. Squirrelstar carefully chose mature cats to lead patrols around the WindClan border. These patrol leaders prevented conflicts from escalating.

WindClan bore the aggression with grace. The swift cats knew ThunderClan had every right to be angry with their Clan. It was not like a regular dispute over border markings. Bramblestar had died because they could not contain their kits in their camp.

It was a mild leafbare day with the snow coming down when Kestrelflight ran for the old badger set that made up the elders' den. His pelt reeked of fear.

"Harestar, come out! It's about Frogkit."

Harestar rose from his thickly padded nest. He poked his head out of the elders' den.

"What is it, Kestrelflight?"

The aging mottled brownish-gray tom with white splotches bowed his head.

"He slipped into full unconsciousness overnight. His breathing's grown weak. I don't think he'll make it."

The old brown and white tom stepped out of the elders' den. He limped towards the medicine den as fast as he could manage. He saw Sparrowstripe herding Dunlinkit and Brackenkit towards the same area out of the corner of his eye.

The medicine den was a large crevice in some nearby rocks. Kestrelflight had expanded his den with woven bramble and honeysuckle sometime after the blood dirt fever so he had more room for supplies and patients. Harestar stepped inside. He nearly gagged.

The air carried the scent of festering infection. Frogkit laid in a thickly padded moss nest on his uninjured side. His eyes were closed. His small chest's rising and falling was nearly undetectable.

Blackbirdkit sat beside her denmate with her broken leg poking out to the side. Her blue eyes widened at Harestar.

"Harestar?"

The old tom laid a tail on her shoulder.

"I'm here, Blackbirdkit."

She returned her gaze to Frogkit. Her short black pelt fluffed up.

"Frogkit had been saying very weird things before today. He once thought that the fox was still after us, and cried for it to stop. He jerked his paws everywhere. Then, he kept begging Bramblestar to forgive him. It's like he's been in one big nightmare."

Harestar sighed. He stroked his tail across the kit's back.

"Fevers sometimes attack a cat's mind, Blackbirdkit. It's truly a scary thing. Their worst fears come to life as their bodies battle off disease. I would never wish this on any cat."

The old brown and white tom heard a gasp behind him. He turned to see Sparrowstripe, Dunlinkit, and Brackenkit. Brindletail and Buzzardkit laid near Blackbirdkit. They ignored the sounds around them.

Kestrelflight entered his den behind Sparrowstripe and her two uninjured kits. He nuzzled Brindletail.

"Brindletail, I am so sorry. I don't think he'll last until sundown."

Frogkit's breathing grew weaker with each moment. His blue eyes briefly opened. They were glazed over with fever. Every cat in the room started paying attention to the mottled brown tom-kit.

He started mumbling under his breath. It eventually became audible.

"Who are you? You're my aunt Smokerunner? Why haven't I seen you before? Oh, you're in StarClan. Mom says that's where good cats go when they die, right?"

Brindletail's ears drooped. She laid her muzzle on her dying son's back.

"Please, no. Please don't take him Smokerunner," she whispered.

Frogkit's eyes started sliding shut. He seemed to be arguing with his dead aunt.

"Are you sure I'm a good cat? ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar died because of me and my denmates. You're sure? Okay then. I'm going to miss my denmates and mom."

The tom-kit's eyes fully closed. His breathing grew shallower. Buzzardkit nuzzled his brother's head.

"Please don't go. I love you," the brown tabby tom-kit begged.

It was of no use. Frogkit's chest stopped rising and falling. His body grew still.

Brindletail took in the sight of her son's corpse. She crouched beside him. After a moment, she let out a loud wail.

Harestar watched Frogkit's spirit leave with a gray she-cat with blue eyes that had stars in her fur. The mottled brown tom-kit stared sadly after his mother, brother, Clan leader, and denmates as he ran into the sky. Harestar nuzzled the tom-kit's body.

"You made a mistake, but you were also brave. You took these blows from the fox so your denmates weren't harmed further. WindClan will honor you for seasons to come, Frogkit. Farewell."

He stepped away so Frogkit's denmates could pay their respects.

Dunlinkit whimpered. He pressed his nose into the mottled brown tom-kit's fur. Blackbirdkit groomed Frogkit around his wounds. It looked like she was trying to help hide them.

Brackenkit approached the tom-kit slowly. She nuzzled the tom-kit's shoulder.

"You were very funny. I'll miss you," she whimpered.

Harestar turned to Kestrelflight.

"Will we have the vigil after the sun goes down?"

The aging WindClan medicine cat nodded.

"Yes. We should go alert the Clan. Although, some of them might have guessed from Brindletail's wail what happened. The kits should take part."

The old brown and white tom nodded. Kits were not often present at vigils, but this was different. The dead Clanmate was one of theirs.

"I agree. I'm going to the base of the Tallrock to make the announcement. I will see you at sundown, Kestrelflight."

* * *

All of WindClan gathered in their exposed camp. The moon started to rise. Brindletail carried Frogkit's body into the clearing with Buzzardkit following her. Behind them were Kestrelflight, Sparrowstripe, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, Brackenkit, Heathertail, and Nightcloud. The aging brown tabby and the black elder had come into the medicine den soon after Harestar left.

Brindletail laid her dead son in the clearing as gently as she could. Buzzardkit sat next to his brother's head. Harestar made his way over to the distraught family.

Kestrelflight sat down behind the mottled brown tom-kit's back. He started speaking.

"Today is a dark day for WindClan. After several days of fighting hard against an infected wound, Frogkit has joined StarClan."

The majority of the Clan bowed their heads. Several such as Brightcloud and Gorsetail let out soft sobs. They allowed their medicine cat to continue.

"Frogkit loved his Clan. While he took longer to grow up than other kits his age, he was interested in what he could do for his Clanmates. He helped the queens patch up the nursery once when a snowstorm had unraveled it. He never accepted what he thought was unsolicited praise. He had developed good fighting skills for his age by play fighting with the apprentices."

A golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes trembled all over as the last part was uttered. His eyes glistened. Kestrelflight breathed in deeply before finishing.

"While Frogkit ended up using his fighting skills too soon, I would like all of you to remember that he did not bear his claws for glory. He only fought so his denmates would stay safe. He faced the fox down not knowing that Harestar and Bramblestar of ThunderClan would rescue them. May he watch over his Clanmates in StarClan."

The cats of WindClan lined up to pay respect. They pressed their noses into Frogkit's fur. They all had different things to say about him.

"Poor scrap."

"I'm going to miss that mischievous rascal."

"He was so brave even though he was small. I'm not going to forget that sweet face."

"I was looking forward to training with him."

The last uttered words came from the golden-brown tabby apprentice with amber eyes. He was Ryepaw, a former loner that was WindClan's newest apprentice. He and Frogkit had gotten on famously.

Harestar pressed his nose into Frogkit's shoulder.

"I wanted to see you grow as a WindClan warrior. I'm sorry that we didn't find you in time."

Brindletail, Buzzardkit, Sparrowstripe, Brackenkit, Dunlinkit, Blackbirdkit, Brightcloud, Heathertail, Nightcloud, Kestrelflight, and the brown and white WindClan leader sat with the fallen tom-kit all night. They shared stories about him until the sun peeked below the horizon.

* * *

Harestar accompanied Gorsetail, Nightcloud, and Brindletail to bury Frogkit. Kestrelflight nearly had a fit. The brown and white tom pointed out that he would not be straining his leg while laying his young Clanmate to rest.

Besides, if he couldn't manage a small stroll near the RiverClan border, how was he supposed to attend the Gathering in a few days' time? The mottled brownish-gray tom with white splotches had to concede there.

"Just come back here once you're done. No antagonizing any RiverClan warriors!" he insisted.

Harestar had no intentions of doing so. The trouble his Clan was in with ThunderClan was bad enough. Such a thing would dishonor Frogkit. Warriors did not start up battles when burying their Clanmates.

The old brown and white tom took the lead of the burial patrol. WindClan had not settled on a burial place for dead Clanmates even years after moving to the lake. Maybe he should start such a project once he was back at camp. It would help so no cat would accidentally dig up dead Clanmates' corpses while tunneling.

He crossed the old thunderpath. His Clan members followed him. There was once a time where they would have looked for monsters before crossing, but the Dark Forest shadow demons killed all the Twolegs around the lake years ago. None had returned since.

The Horseplace came into sight. The old brown and white tom recognized the old barn where Smoky, Coriander, and their family stayed. The loners understood why WindClan sometimes buried their warriors here. The elderly cats and their family were left alone so long as they stayed around their territory.

This was also where WindClan had their border with RiverClan. Warriors of the different Clans sometimes came to chat with each other so long as they did not cross any borders.

Harestar spotted a small pond up ahead. A brown frog croaked inside it while on top of a lily pad. It must have come out of hibernation early from the mild weather. Frogkit claimed sometimes that he wanted to meet his namesake.

Brindletail noticed the frog too. Her blue eyes glistened.

"Frogkit always wanted to meet a frog someday," she whispered.

Her words were muffled by her dead son's fur.

Nightcloud nodded. She laid a tail on her granddaughter's shoulder.

"Now he will. Why don't we bury him near the pond where the frog can see him?"

The burial patrol nosed around to find a good burial spot. Once they found solid ground under the snow, Nightcloud and Gorsetail started digging.

Brindletail laid Frogkit's body down gently beside the growing grave. Harestar kept guard. Birds like crows sometimes tried to make an attempt at Clan cat corpses. RiverClan could also make an appearance. Brindletail and the elders did not need their poking around.

Sure enough, the old brown and white tom smelled the scent of fish on the breeze. A gray tom with green eyes ran towards the WindClan leader. His ribs stuck out of his thick pelt.

"Get out of here, you rabbit eaters!"

The brown and white tom growled. He may have promised Kestrelflight that he wouldn't strain himself, but this RiverClan warrior was antagonizing him. He thought it was Jaywing of RiverClan. His aggression was the last thing Brindletail and the elders needed exposing to. Where was the tom's patrol?

"We're on our side of the border. Have you got beetles in your brain, Jaywing? We are not a normal patrol. Don't you see that the other members of my patrol are a queen and two elders? Your prey is safe, believe me."

The gray tom did not listen. He bolted in Brindletail's direction. He dove in where Frogkit's body laid on the ground. Brindletail knocked him on his back. She let out a distressed cry.

Harestar entered the conflict. He ignored the pain in his leg and his side as he bolted for Jaywing. He pinned the gray tom down. He growled at the RiverClan warrior.

"What were you doing?! That was not a piece of prey. That was a dead kit of my Clan that we are trying to bury! You should be ashamed of yourself."

Jaywing's green eyes widened. His body grew limp.

"The kit looked like prey from a distance," he mumbled in horror.

"I'm so sorry. Could you please let me up? Mistystar is on my patrol. I don't want her to know I messed up this badly."

An elderly voice mewed in the distance.

"It's a little late for that, Jaywing."

Harestar let the gray tom up. The brown and white tom faced an elderly blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes. She was flanked by a pale brown she-cat with amber eyes, an aging white tom with blue eyes, a young brown tabby tom with amber eyes, and an old white she-cat with blue eyes smelling heavily of milk.

The old white she-cat's eyes narrowed. Her fur rose along her back.

"What did you just do, Jaywing?! How could you?"

Mistystar approached the WindClan burial patrol. She held her head low.

"I am sorry for Jaywing's behavior, Harestar."

She signaled to Jaywing with her tail. He ran off to rejoin his Clanmates.

The elderly blue-gray she-cat stepped towards Frogkit's body. She sniffed him. Her ears and tail drooped.

"This is a nasty wound. What happened to the poor scrap?"

Harestar bowed his head. Brindletail's body shuddered.

"A fox took Frogkit," she whimpered.

"His brother Buzzardkit and denmate Blackbirdkit convinced all of our kits to go looking for a fox. One of our elders told them exciting stories about them. The fox they happened upon was a desperate starved creature. Frogkit kept fighting it to keep it away from the other kits until Harestar and ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar found them. His wounds got infected. There was nothing we could do."

The old white she-cat let out a shriek.

"A fox?! What if one's near our camp? I don't want it near Privetkit, Juniperkit, Hazelkit, or Heronkit."

Harestar blinked at the old white she-cat kindly.

"I don't know about your territory, but the fox that killed Frogkit is dead as well, Icewing. Bramblestar and I were forced to kill it when it refused to run away. WindClan and ThunderClan have paid a large price for our kits sneaking out of camp. It will not happen again."

Icewing looked satisfied.

The aging white tom took cautious steps forward. He stared at Harestar's muzzle as he spoke.

"Harestar, what prices besides Frogkit's death must WindClan and ThunderClan pay?"

The old brown and white tom closed his eyes briefly. Egretstream was a kind-hearted cat that held great empathy for others. He was also deaf. He had introduced proper sign language to the Clans, which made life easier for warriors with disabilities. He was currently mentoring an apprentice named Birchpaw.

The brown tabby stood behind his mentor. He crouched low to the ground as if he was afraid Harestar would attack him. The WindClan leader held no such desires. His anger was with Jaywing alone.

"Thanks to the fox, all of our kits were wounded to varying degrees," he began.

"One has a broken hindleg, one has large wounds over her body that are vulnerable to infection, and the other two have smaller wounds that have made them sore. All of their apprenticeships are being delayed thanks to this stunt. Bramblestar was on his ninth life when he confronted the fox. He passed away from blood loss soon after we verified the fox's death."

Mistystar bowed her head deeply. She sighed.

"I am sorry Harestar for what happened. Losing cats is always a tragedy. Bramblestar will be missed. Jaywing will be punished for this, I assure you."

Harestar bowed his head back. The RiverClan patrol moved a little ways away. Nightcloud called from behind him.

"The grave is ready."

Brindletail carried Frogkit's body by his scruff. She laid him gently in a small hole in the earth. She gave his face one last lick.

Harestar approached the grave. He and the elders surrounded it.

"Goodbye, Frogkit. We will see you again someday. Please forgive Jaywing of RiverClan for his discretion."

The old brown and white tom and his Clanmates pushed soil over the grave with their paws. Brindletail heaved more than the others. She smoothed the grave with her paws once Frogkit's body was completely covered.

Mistystar called out to Harestar as the burial finished.

"I hope your Clan has better days, Harestar. Please take care of yourself. I saw the injury on your leg."

The old brown and white tom nodded. He grimaced.

"I will. The wound is from the fox. Kestrelflight wants me to take it easy. I'm not looking forward to seeing him when I return to camp."

The WindClan leader's wounds stung. It was probably from engaging Jaywing. His medicine cat was going to give him an earful. Hopefully, he would still be able to attend the Gathering.

* * *

The mild weather had continued to the night of the Gathering. The air felt warmer than it had in moons. Patches of snow melted on the ground.

Harestar led his Clan to the Gathering island. Kestrelflight had understood why he disobeyed medicine cat orders, but had insisted that he stay in camp for the next few days so his injuries did not reopen. The old brown and white tom did not argue.

Dunlinkit had begun his punishment. The gray and white tom-kit did not make many complaints about his situation. He looked over the elders' pelts with sharp eyes for ticks while either Nightcloud or Gorsetail regaled him with stories about the warrior code.

Buzzardkit had not joined his denmate because of his grief over his brother's death. He barely moved from his nest. He blamed himself for coming up with the idea to sneak out of camp.

Brindletail spent most of her time consoling her surviving son. It had taken her a lot of convincing to attend the Gathering. It was so she could have a break from the recent events. Brightcloud had promised to look after the brown tabby tom-kit. Her kits Sheepkit and Birchkit had been born just two days ago.

Harestar paused at the fallen tree that led to the island. Bluetnose braced his side.

"Don't worry, Harestar. I will help you."

He struggled to remain steady on the fallen tree. His injured leg ached. His claws could not get a grip on the slick bark. But, his mate helped him. She kept him close to her with her tail.

RiverClan and ShadowClan were already present. Juniperstar of ShadowClan greeted Harestar as he approached the Great Oak.

"Greetings, Harestar. My Clan heard about the fox. How are the kits?"

Harestar signaled for Bluetnose to stop walking. He bowed his head.

"It's a different answer with each of them. One is well enough to have started punishment for his involvement, one is still recovering from large bite wounds, one has a broken hindleg, and another is beside himself with grief. The last has sadly joined our ancestors."

The black tom gasped.

"That's horrible. I am so sorry. Tell the dead kit's mother that she has my condolences."

The cats surrounding the two leaders bowed their heads. Their ears drooped. Bluetnose helped her mate climb the Great Oak. Juniperstar joined the WindClan leader.

Mistystar was already there on her branch. She purred.

"Newleaf is on its way. I hope all the Clans benefit from the better weather."

Harestar's ears pricked forward. He nodded.

"I hope so too."

He focused his attention on the cats below. Icewing had invited Brindletail into a group of queens from different Clans. A swaying black she-cat with long legs leaned in close as Brindletail bowed her head. The black she-cat was Tallflower of ShadowClan. Brindletail was probably telling her fellow queens about her losing her son.

Leaftail mingled with a very pale white-silver tabby tom with pale gray markings. The tom was Juniperstar's deputy Palestripe. His eyes widened in concern at whatever Leaftail told him.

Bluetnose spoke with a light ginger she-cat that smelled of RiverClan, Egretstream, a black and white tom with ShadowClan scent, and an elderly white she-cat sharing the ShadowClan scent of the black and white tom. The light ginger she-cat swayed on her feet. She was Chanterellefur, a RiverClan warrior born with a poor sense of balance. Wobbly cats like her and Tallflower were often kitted in the blood dirt fever's aftermath.

The black and white ShadowClan tom was Wagtailheart. He was Juniperstar's son. He had a strong sense of justice. His elderly white Clanmate Snowbird was one of the oldest cats still living in the Clans. She refused to retire from warrior duties even though she was eligible to become an elder.

Finally, Harestar caught whiffs of ThunderClan and SkyClan in the air. He watched Squirrelstar lead her Clan onto the Gathering island. Her face held a determined expression. She made her way to the Great Oak. Her Clanmates mingled with the other cats, but mostly avoided those from WindClan.

"Hello Harestar," the dark ginger she-cat greeted.

The old brown and white tom dipped his head to her.

"Hello, Squirrelstar. Have things been better for your Clan?"

The elderly she-cat shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. Remember how Dapplecloud told you we lost Smallblaze from greencough a day before Bramblestar died? Cloudtail contracted her greencough. He died yesterday."

Harestar bowed his head deeply. Cloudtail had been highly respected in the Clans in spite of his kittypet origins. He had appeared a little weak when the old brown and white tom last saw him.

"Things are not good for WindClan, either. I found out that Leaftail assigned a poor set of warriors for sentry duty the night the kits escaped. One is not really suited for sentry duty thanks to lacking a sense of smell, and the other had fallen asleep at her post. One of the kits died from their injuries."

The dark ginger leader gasped. She closed her eyes.

"Oh my. Which of the kits joined StarClan?"

The old brown and white tom sighed.

"Frogkit. His wound on his side got badly infected. He grew delirious. Even though Kestrelflight and his mother Brindletail did everything they could, he died nearly a quarter-moon later."

Squirrelstar's ears and bushy tail drooped. She bowed her head.

"Poor scrap. I hate it when kits die."

Harestar remained silent. Most cats in the Clans knew that two of Squirrelstar's birth kits had joined StarClan very young. This was a familiar pain to her.

Mistystar stared off into the distance with a sad look in her eyes. She knew this pain worse than Squirrelstar. She was the mother of Perchkit, the kit that drowned while trying to catch a fish. Two of her other kits, Pikepaw and Primrosepaw, had passed as apprentices. Only her deputy Reedwhisker remained out of the kits she had kitted.

Hawkstar led SkyClan onto the Gathering island. His Clan disbursed among the gathered cats. He headed for the Great Oak. He jumped onto his branch with little effort.

"Greetings, all of you. Should we get the Gathering started?" the small gray tom inquired.

The other leaders nodded. They called out for the other cats to quiet down. The cats below the leaders grew silent.

Juniperstar spoke next.

"Given recent events, I believe that ThunderClan's leader should speak first."

Harestar let out a mew of agreement. The news of Bramblestar's death was probably common knowledge by now. Still, some cats might want to know all of the facts. Squirrelstar took in a deep breath.

"This moon has been a dark time for ThunderClan. I am my Clan's new leader. Bramblestar is no longer with us. He died protecting five WindClan kits from a fox nearly a half-moon ago. You will probably hear more about the incident when Harestar gives his news."

The dark ginger she-cat closed her eyes. The cats gathered around the Great Oak grew silent. Many of them bowed their heads.

"Bramblestar is not the only cat we have lost. We lost our warrior Smallblaze to a hard battle with greencough one day before Bramblestar passed. Her brother Smokefoot has been made my new deputy. She will be missed."

Several cats from each Clan huddled together with drooping ears. Only a couple of cats called out Smokefoot's name. The chanting sounded half-hearted.

The cats stayed silent for a moment. Squirrelstar spoke again.

"Lastly, our elder Cloudtail caught greencough. He departed for StarClan yesterday night. ThunderClan will miss him dearly. He left behind his mate Brightheart, and kits Whitewing, Ambermoon, and Snowbush. I hope that newleaf will bring better times. That is all."

Many of the elders and senior warriors of each Clan bowed their heads again. They appeared to be praying for Cloudtail's spirit.

Squirrelstar gestured to Harestar with her white forepaw, as if trying to say it was his turn. The other leaders nodded in agreement. The old brown and white tom sighed. He cleared his throat.

"It is with great shame that I confess that the actions of certain Clanmates of mine indirectly contributed to Bramblestar's death. I promised ThunderClan I would look into the matter. This is what I found."

WindClan cats cringed where they sat around the island. ThunderClan cats grew stiff. The other cats pricked their ears forward.

"My Clan's queens Sparrowstripe and Brindletail discovered that their kits had gone missing from WindClan's camp on the morning of Bramblestar's death. They had watched the kits go to sleep before they laid their heads down for the night. My sentries that night, Squirrelfoot and Flintstorm, did not sense them leave. Flintstorm in fact nodded off while on sentry duty."

Harestar did not like sharing this. He was admitting weakness to other Clans. But, ThunderClan deserved to know what led up their leader's death and that he would prevent it from happening again.

"Squirrelfoot's case was more excusable. He barely has a sense of smell. Leaftail assigned him to sentry duty by accident. Sparrowstripe's daughter Blackbirdkit and Brindletail's son Buzzardkit were the ringleaders of the escape. They came up with the idea of searching for a fox after one of my elders told exciting stories about one. They had no idea what they were in for."

Several cats glared at Leaftail. He cringed in embarrassment. Those who were not glaring at the WindClan deputy appeared deeply interested by Harestar's report.

"Blackbirdkit's brother Dunlinkit and Buzzardkit's brother Frogkit helped created a decoy for the queens. They shaped moss into the rough shape of kits, smothered the moss in each kit's scent, and placed the moss at their mothers' bellies. The fox chased them throughout WindClan's territory. I joined the search parties once my warriors discovered this. Leaftail stayed at camp."

The old brown and white tom shuddered. He pictured the mangy starved orange creature in his mind. He gulped in a breath.

"I found the kits and Bramblestar engaged in battle against a mangy emaciated fox. It was a desperate creature. I entered the battle to help protect my Clan's kits. Even with two Clan leaders, Frogkit, Buzzardkit, and Sparrowstripe's third kit Brackenkit engaging it, it refused to leave. The fox injured us all to varying extents. Bramblestar and I were forced to kill it."

Several queens let out distressing cries as he recalled the confrontation. Even a few tougher warriors like Larkblaze of ThunderClan, Owlclaw of ShadowClan, Tanagerfang of ShadowClan, Stoatstep, Nightcloud, Spiderfang of RiverClan, Violetheart of SkyClan, and Wisteriafang of SkyClan cringed. He continued on.

"Bramblestar sustained a bite to his upper leg, and the fox tore out a large chunk of his shoulder. He died of blood loss in spite of Blackbirdkit holding a large moss ball to his shoulder to stem the bleeding. I attempted calling out for help. No ThunderClan or WindClan patrols heard my call."

The old brown and white tom paused for breath. He spoke again after a moment.

"I had no choice but to trespass into ThunderClan territory so they were notified of their leader's death. Their medicine cat Dapplecloud treated us for our injuries when we arrived. I am thankful for her help."

Dapplecloud widened her eyes in shock as Harestar praised her. Some of the cats gathered below the Great Oak grew restless. A RiverClan cat called out.

"Harestar, what injuries did you and the kits sustain?"

Harestar glanced down at the cat. The RiverClan cat was a brown tortoiseshell apprentice with a white chest, white paws, and a white tail tip. She had widened her blue eyes in concern. He recalled that her name was Shellpaw.

"Well Shellpaw, the fox bit into one of my hind legs. I had to mostly stay in my camp after the attack until the Gathering tonight. There were concerns that I would not be able to attend."

The RiverClan cats present hung their heads with guilt. The old brown and white tom had no doubt that they had been informed of Jaywing nearly making off with Frogkit's body.

"Dunlinkit only received minor lacerations that were mainly confined to his left side. Buzzardkit sustained shallow wounds on his back end. Brackenkit's body was riddled with deep lacerations all over. Blackbirdkit's hind leg suffered a minor break."

His mind flashed to Frogkit's dying moments. He had used his body to block the fox from getting at the other kits, which meant his small body was littered with injuries. The ragged wound on his side excreted puss. Harestar took in a shuddering breath.

"Frogkit was not as lucky as his denmates. He had been the one fending off the fox from his fellow kits until Bramblestar and I found them. The fox tore a ragged wound into his side among other numerous injuries. He grew delirious from fever in spite of Kestrelflight and Dapplecloud's treatment. Infection had set in fast. He joined StarClan nearly a quarter-moon after the fox attack."

The effect of the announcement was instantaneous. The queens huddled close to Brindletail. The mottled brown queen let out a small cry.

Almost all of the cats on the island drooped their ears. Kits were a Clan's future. Most Clan cats hated news about young cats dying or coming to harm. Harestar opened his muzzle once a few moments had passed.

"We will miss Frogkit. He has left behind his mother Brindletail and brother Buzzardkit. Frogkit's surviving denmates are being punished according to their roles in fleeing the WindClan camp and their respective injuries."

The old brown and white tom took in a deep breath. He remembered calling the council nearly a half-moon ago.

"All of their apprenticeships have been delayed by one moon. They are mostly restricted to the area around the nursery until further notice. The only exception to the last is Blackbirdkit. Her leg fracture has left her in the medicine den."

Most of the ThunderClan cats' eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Squirrelstar nodded in acceptance. Cats from the other Clans murmured in agreement with the consequences.

"Flintstorm has been punished as well for neglecting her duties. She will live as an apprentice for one moon. I have taken away Chipmunkpaw as her apprentice for at least two moons. She will only receive her apprentice back if her behavior improves. Do not expect her at Gatherings during that time."

Harestar had decided not to mention Squirrelfoot's punishment. It was a minor thing, so it did not need to be brought up at the Gathering. Several cats glanced at the reddish-brown tom sympathetically. Harestar cleared his throat.

"One factor that contributed to the kits' escape besides Flintstorm's neglect was our camp's layout. It is not enclosed like ThunderClan or ShadowClan. My warriors rejected the idea of a barrier around the camp, so I decided to assign an extra sentry for night sentry duty that will keep watch over the nursery. We will revisit the issue if the sentry idea does not work out."

The old brown and white tom paused for a moment. Cats from other Clans tilted their heads at the WindClan warriors. It was probably because the fleet cats of the moors were the only Clan not to have their camp physically protected in some way. He decided to finish his report.

"Ryepaw has become a new apprentice. He has been placed under Bluetnose's tutelage. Lastly, Brightcloud gave birth to two kits two nights ago. They are named Sheepkit and Birchkit. I hope that they thrive in the coming newleaf."

A few cats called out Ryepaw's name. The golden-brown tabby tom shuffled his paws around. It was his first time at a Gathering. He was probably nervous.

Others cheered Brightcloud and Bluetnose's names. Bluetnose held her head high. Several cats walked up to congratulate her. Mistystar spoke next.

"Bramblestar was a wise cat. He will be missed. I hope all of our Clans enjoy the warmer weather. Icewing's son Hazelkit has contracted greencough even though warmer weather is on the way. We hope that he recovers soon."

The crowd drooped their ears at the announcement. The RiverClan cats cringed. Harestar had a feeling of what Mistystar would address next.

"I must apologize to WindClan for a grave wrongdoing. The starvation that comes with leafbare caused one of my warriors to lose his wits around the WindClan border a few days ago. Jaywing thought he saw a WindClan patrol with a stolen piece of prey. He tried to reclaim what he thought was stolen fresh-kill."

The RiverClan leader's blue eyes grew dark. Her lips curled into a snarl. The incident must have shaken her badly.

"His nose apparently could not distinguish fresh-kill from a recently dead kit whose mother, elders, and leader were trying to bury him. He nearly snatched Frogkit of WindClan's corpse from his mother Brindletail."

The cats below the Great Oak grew agitated. Several of them glared at the RiverClan warriors. Nightcloud snarled at an older gray and white she-cat smelling of RiverClan.

"I hope you taught your son better than that! Brindletail did not need such a thing at her son's burial. RiverClan cats aren't in the habit of body snatching, are they Petalfur?"

Petalfur's fur bristled.

"Of course not! I yowled at him the whole evening after I heard what he did. Mallownose and I were good parents. It's all on Jaywing."

The Clan leaders glanced down at their cats. Hawkstar called out.

"Everyone, I know that this is a very upsetting piece of news, but please calm down. We don't want StarClan angry with us. Mistystar, I hope Jaywing was punished for this gristly event."

Mistystar nodded. She closed her eyes.

"Yes. I have banned him from Gatherings for the next four moons. Two of those moons will be spent living as an apprentice, and he will be confined to camp for the next moon or so. When his punishments have ended, he will visit the Moonpool with Willowshine in an attempt to apologize to Frogkit."

Harestar nodded in agreement. While it was not a law in the warrior code, it was basic knowledge that a Clan cat did not disrespect a deceased cat's corpse. Every cat that had lived a good life had the right to an honorable memorial. It was such a basic tenet of Clan life that it should not need including in the rules or warrior code at all.

"We accept your apology for what happened," he mewed.

"However, my Clan will not accept Jaywing's presence near our border. If you assign him patrols at your border with us in the next few moons, my cats may retaliate."

The WindClan cats present gave firm nods. Their eyes gleamed fiercely in the moonlight. Hawkstar started speaking.

"I will miss Bramblestar. He helped shelter my Clan when we first moved to the lake. SkyClan has had a good moon. Kestrelpaw and Gullpaw recently became apprentices. Kestrelpaw's mentor is Kitewhisker, while Gullpaw is learning under Violetheart."

Cats cheered for the two new apprentices. Kestrelpaw puffed out her chest with pride. Gullpaw pricked his ears forwards. The SkyClan deputy Falconheart beamed at them proudly. She was their mother.

"Cricketsong kitted two kits a half-moon ago," Hawkstar continued.

"They are named Wrenkit and Flykit. My Clan discovered foxes on our territory nearly a half-moon ago, but we dealt with them. Birdwing, Dovenose, Ospreyspots, and Lapwingfang chased them clear of the Clan territories."

Several cats called out Cricketsong's name. Others cheered for the cats that confronted the foxes.

Juniperstar cleared his throat. He began his report.

"First of all, I'm sorry that ThunderClan and WindClan are suffering hard times. Bramblestar will be remembered. Cardinalflower gave birth to four kits five nights after the last Gathering. She has named them Garlickit, Bramblingkit, Gingerkit, and Icekit."

Cats called out Cardinalflower's name. A white tom smelling of ShadowClan puffed out his chest proudly. He was Cardinalflower's mate Rippletail. Juniperstar fanned his tail for silence.

"Waxpaw and Copperpaw became apprentices on the new moon. Blizzardheart is mentoring Waxpaw, and Hornetcloud is training Copperpaw. Their brother Anemonekit was sadly unable to join his siblings. Greencough claimed his life soon after his littermates' apprentice ceremony. We hope he rests easy in StarClan."

A golden tabby tom and a tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and paws huddled together. They held their heads low as the other Clan cats called their names. The cheering was half-hearted. Juniperstar spoke once more.

"Lastly, ThunderClan warned us about the possibility of foxes when a patrol originally notified us about Bramblestar's death. We are glad they did. Newtnose, Bitternpelt, and Tanagerfang discovered a mated pair nesting close to our camp. They chased the foxes out."

The cats below the Great Oak cheered for Tanagerfang and his Clanmates. The dark ginger tom held his head high. Several ShadowClan cats called out ThunderClan's name.

"The Gathering is at an end," Juniperstar announced.

"May StarClan light your path."

Most of the leaders climbed down from the Great Oak. Harestar remained where he sat. His wounds could reopen if he left without assistance.

Bluetnose approached the Great Oak. She climbed partway up. She offered her side to her brown and white mate.

Harestar started the climb down. He braced against his white mate's side. He was glad when his paws were touching the ground.

He gazed at the full moon. This past moon had been full of despair. A leader had passed saving kits from another Clan, and one of those kits later died from his infected wounds. His Clanmates had gone at one another from the stress.

But, good would come from Bramblestar's sacrifice. Dunlinkit, Brackenkit, Buzzardkit, and Blackbirdkit would learn maturity. They would live to their apprenticeships even if it were delayed by a moon. The four kits would teach any kits they had sometime in the future why staying in camp was important.

Birchkit and Sheepkit would learn quickly not to attempt fleeing from camp. No cat in WindClan was sick. Chipmunkpaw was thriving under her new mentor Sedgewhisker. The prey would be back soon. Things were looking brighter.

Harestar thought that he saw StarClan cats intermingling with those still at the Gathering. One of them was a mottled brown tom-kit. A gray she-cat with blue eyes followed him around.

Frogkit's spirit beamed at him. He purred right back.

They would be lingering sadness. But, WindClan would survive. They would be just fine.

* * *

A/N: Here's the last part of _Bramble's Sacrifice_. Let me go over the main points.

Just because the kits are being punished doesn't mean that the adults won't sooth them about what happened or what's going on now. That applies double to Blackbirdkit's situation of watching Frogkit die.

WindClan have taken up tunneling again part-time. It's not like before where cats were divided into tunnelers and moor-runners. They are in the habit of burying their Clanmates around the borders of their territory to prevent accidental exhumations.

I believe that this is the first time I've mentioned any Horseplace cats in story even though they're always in the Allegiances. They don't like making trouble, so they aren't a big part of events.

Starvation can mess with anyone's mind. Let's be a little fair to Jaywing; a four moon kit is not fully-grown, and cats sometimes catch prey near their size. Frogkit's body might have looked like a stoat or hare in the distance.

Still, what he did was highly offensive. That's why he got badly punished for the stunt.

Since the premise of this story was sad, I decided to have it end on a hopeful note. Better times are ahead for all of the Clans.

How did you like it?


End file.
